Somewhere Between Agony, Optimism and Prayer
by SweetMandyB
Summary: Princes Emmett and Edward lose their mother, Princess Elizabeth in a tragic car accident. Five years after her death, Bella Swan is sent to London to cover a memorial concert thrown by the brothers. Touched by the article written by Bella, Prince Edward flies to New York.
1. The Beginning

Hey Everyone,

Quickly, just wanted to let you know I do absolutely plan on finishing this story. I'm actually finishing a quick re-write of the beginning. I wrote myself into a corner and wasn't happy with the ending I originally wrote.

I am actually starting a new story and can't decide if it should be a sequel set later in life to a previous story or a brand new Edward and Bella. I'm wanting to write something to hear from them a little later in life to experience Edward in a father role with teenagers. :) Let me know if you have preferences! In the meantime, enjoy the newly improved Somewhere Between Story! Please review and let me know what you think! Much love! Thank you all for your kind words!

Chapter One

I walked quickly back to my college apartment from my World History class, fighting tears. The rumors just couldn't be true. It would be too cruel. I held my books close to my chest, trying to calm my heartbeat. I was close, just around the corner. I would know for sure soon. I would see that it was just a horrible rumor. It just couldn't be true. I sped up my walk to a jog as my apartment building came into sight. The skies were beginning to darken, as if warning me of the news that would greet me when I walked through the door. As I approached the front door of my building, the skies opened up and it began to pour. I shook out my raincoat and sprinted up the stairs, taking them two at a time until I arrived at my front door. My hands shaking, I tried to steady them long enough to unlock to the door. When I opened the front door, my worst fears were confirmed. My two roommates, Jessica and Angela, were sitting on our couch, surrounded by tissues, crying softly as they remained captivated by the television. I dropped my books and bag to the floor with a loud thud, but they didn't turn to me. I hurried over to the couch, sinking into the seat as I saw the words scrolling across the screen; the words that confirmed the horrible rumors.

_Princess Elizabeth involved in car crash in Paris this evening._

_Princess Elizabeth rushed into emergency surgery._

_Princess Elizabeth has died. _

Silently, Jessica handed me a tissue as the tears rolled down my cheeks. Princess Elizabeth has…well, had been my idol for the better part of my life. I wanted to be just like her. She was always so kind, involved in so many charities, changed so many lives. Even though I have always lived in the states, I've never even been out of the country, I felt as though I knew her. She truly was the People's Princess.

"How did it happen?" I asked quietly, as the news went to a commercial break.

"They haven't released all the details yet," Angela answered, blotting the tears beneath her eyes, ensuring the mascara wasn't running down her face. I sighed deeply, sinking back into the couch. I felt as though time had stopped. I watched with horror over the next 3 hours as graphic images of the car she was riding in appeared on the screen. I gasped, clasping my hand over my mouth in horror. Where they really going to show these images? What about her family, her two sons? They were both about my age, in the Royal Air Force. I watched as their plane landed in Paris, where their mother had died. I watched them get out of the plane, heads hung in sorrow as they walked beside their father, to identify their mothers body. The expressions on their faces were heartbroken. I was thankful that their father had been with them. He seemed to be strong, if only for them. I looked at the clock. It was nearing 1 am. I had been watching TV coverage for over 7 hours. I sighed and got off the couch, wiping my tears. I needed to get a break from the horrible images that would haunt me forever, even if I never had met her. The world had lost a wonderful woman that I looked up to for the better part of my life. It just didn't make sense. There was so much bad in the world, I didn't understand why she had been taken from us so soon. As I got ready for bed that night, I said a prayer for Princes Edward and Emmett, as the mourned the loss of their mother and celebrated her life, hoping that somewhere, they were feeling love and comfort of the people that loved their mother.

Several days later, I found myself on the couch with my roommates, surrounded once again by boxes of tissues as we watched Princess Elizabeth's funeral procession. I watched as her boys, heartbroken and distraught, walked behind her casket with their father. I took a sip of water as I tried to make sense of the last few days. It was one of those moments. It was one of those moments in life that you will never forget as long as you live. Angela's boyfriend, Ben, walked into the apartment and sighed at the sight in front of him.

"You girls need to stop that." He scolded with a roll of his eyes. Angela threw an empty tissue box at him.  
>"Shut it". She scolded back, snuggling into the arm of the sofa.<p>

"Girls, the biggest party of the YEAR is happening. Why are you sitting here watching coverage of a funeral halfway across the world? Live in the now!" he said, kissing the top of Angela's head.

"Go without me. I'm not up for a party tonight". Angela said with a shrug.

"You guys. We are seniors in college. We are graduating in 2 weeks. LET'S GO!" he argued anxiously.

"Please shut up", Jessica said with irritation as she turned up the volume.

"Ugh, whatever. See you later," he said, adjusting his Seattle Seahawks cap and leaving the apartment.

"So glad I don't have a boyfriend right now", Jessica laughed.

I don't know why, but I was so drawn to Prince Edward. I always had been. I guess I can just equate it to a celebrity crush. He just seemed so perfect. He was so handsome, but more than that, had inherited his mothers kind and gentle heart. As I watched the heartbreaking footage, my heart broke with his, as if I was losing my own mother. I wanted to reach through the TV screen to give him a hug.

Hours later, we were finally able to pull ourselves away from the TV. It seemed that we just couldn't get enough of the coverage. A part of me was waiting for someone to come on to report that there had been a terrible mistake, but that announcement that I was so hoping for never came.


	2. Muse

**Chapter Two: Five Years Later**

I walked into my office on a sunny Tuesday morning in New York City. After graduation, I had landed a fantastic job at the New York Times as a columnist for current events. My office had an amazing view of downtown Manhattan. This was just as breathtaking as the mountain views in Seattle. This was Manhattan's mountain view. I tossed my keys into the silver bowl on my cherry wood desk and pressed the power button on my computer. My assistant, Victoria, handed me my daily Starbucks and I smiled in gratitude as I sipped at it. I sat down in front of my computer and checked my e-mail. My heart began to race in nervousness as I saw an e-mail from my editor in my box marked urgent. That was typically never good news. The time stamp read 12:34am.

_Bella,_

_I have an exciting assignment for you! I just got a call from a contact in London that Princes Edward and Emmett are hosting a Memorial Concert in memory of their late mother, Princess Elizabeth. I'm sending you to London to cover it. There will be no interviews, there never is with these royals with Americans, at least. But I need you to be in attendance to write about it. You're my best writer. Don't let me down, Swan. Your flight leaves Friday at 6pm. Ticket to follow in your inbox. _

_Mike_

I sat at my desk with my mouth open for a good minute or two. Just then, another e-mail alert pinged. It was from Virgin Airways, my airline ticket, as Mike had promised. It was already Wednesday. That didn't leave me long to get a wardrobe and pack. As if on cue, Mike walked by.

"Swan! Did you get my e-mail?" he asked, stopping in the doorway. I could only nod, still slightly in shock.

"Good. Take the rest of the day if you want to get ready. You can work from home later. I want this a priority. Research before you leave." He demanded before walking away without a good bye. I nodded in agreement before packing my laptop back into my bag. I picked up my notebook and coffee and left the office in a daze. I grabbed my phone out of my trench coat pocket and dialed Jessica's number.

Since college, Jessica had remained in Washington State and taught English at Forks High School. She picked up on the second ring.

"Hey stranger, how have you been?" she asked. I looked both ways before crossing the street, narrowly avoiding two taxes on the one-way street.

"I'm a little stunned at the moment," I admitted, walking towards 5th Avenue. It was time to break in the credit card I had for emergencies. This is an emergency if I'd ever seen one. A trip to Buckingham Palace absolutely warranted a new wardrobe. My Ann Taylor business suits weren't going to cut it.

"Why, what's wrong?" she asked in concern.

"My editor is sending me to London. Princes Edward and Emmett are throwing a concert for the 5th anniversary of Princess Elizabeth's death."

"WHAT?" she screamed into the phone. I took the phone away from my ear to protect my eardrum. She rambled of an incoherent list of questions.

"Jessica, calm down."

"I am so jealous of you right now". She said, a little calmer. I laughed. "Please keep a record of everything that happens. I want to live vicariously through you. I want good, solid similes."

"Yep. You're an English teacher".

"Oh crap. My students are walking in. Please tell me you are on the way to the mall or something."

"Never fear. I am turning onto 5th right now," I said with a laugh, stopping in front of an upscale boutique.

"Good girl. I've taught you well young grasshopper. I'll call you later". She promised. I ended the call and walked into the boutique, completely overwhelmed, feeling a little bit like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman. Luckily for me, the saleswoman that was working was much friendlier to me than the one in the movie.

"Can I help you find something special?" she asked, clasping her hands in front of her. I nodded.

"Yes actually. My editor is sending me to London to cover an event with the royal family". The saleswoman raised a perfectly tweezed eyebrow.

"Wow. Well, you need something fit for a princess then. Follow me."

Five hours and four hundred dollars later, I walked out of the store feeling satisfied and exhausted. My arms weighed down with bags, I opted to take a taxi back to my mid-town apartment. All I needed was a pair of shoes. Since it was April, I opted for a short white dress. It looked perfect on. I decided on royal blue shoes and accessories. I found the perfect peacock blue clutch. Jessica texted me that I needed to wear a hat, but I disagreed. Until I saw the blue pillbox hat that matched my clutch exactly. It was fate. If only I had a sister or friend who was fashion savvy.

The next day, I got home from work about six o' clock. I made a quick dinner before changing into sweatpants and settling in front of the TV with my laptop to do a little royal family research. About 6:30 the doorman called with a delivery, which was a little puzzling since I hadn't ordered anything lately. Shortly after, a bike messenger appeared at my front door with a small black package. I signed the paper and thanked the messenger. I closed the door softly behind me and stared at the package, unsure of what it could be. I tore off the paper gently and gasped at the white box labeled "Manolo Blahnik". A card was tucked neatly on top of the white tissue paper.

_Bippity, Boppity, Boo._

_Love, Jess_

I laughed, but then gasped in awe as I pulled the tissue to reveal a peacock blue pair of shoes, exactly like the ones on the Sex and the City movie. I picked up the phone immediately to call Jessica. She answered on the first ring.

"Jess, these are too much!" I said, my hand over my fluttering heart. It was love at first sight.

"Bella, Cinderella taught us how important a pair of shoes can be. Make sure to accidently leave one on the steps of Buckingham Palace". She laughed.

"Well thank you, Jess".

"No problem. You know what they say; a journey begins with a single step. So you might as well be in some kick ass shoes". She laughed.

"Well thank you. They're beautiful".

"Good. Remember me when you're living in Buckingham Palace". She teased. I rolled my eyes.

"Goodnight, Jess. Thanks again".

Before I knew it, I was boarding a plane, London bound. I sat in my first class seat and relaxed with a glass of champagne. I was not a good flier; I was always so nervous. After I finished the champagne, I was feeling a little better. I pulled out my computer after takeoff to read through my research again, making notes of the things I wanted to make sure to put in my article.

The flight went rather quickly. I was on the ground at Heathrow Airport Saturday morning. I checked my e-mails quickly as I waited for my baggage. It seemed that everything was handled stateside, so I was able to relax a bit. I found my baggage and my driver and within a few minutes I was sitting in the back of a black sedan, making my way through beautiful, historic London toward the Goring Hotel.

The hotel was something out of a dream. I unpacked my luggage, hanging up my dress to let the wrinkles fall out. I fingered the material and smiled to myself. I couldn't believe I was here. After years of visiting London in books, I was finally here. I checked my watch. It was about lunchtime here. I was too excited to sleep. I pulled on my trench coat and grabbed my purse to sightsee a bit. The first stop: Buckingham Palace. As I stood in front of the gates, looking up at this…majestic structure, I felt very small. I was standing in front of all kinds of history. I couldn't believe I was here. It was so surreal.

I spent the better part of the day exploring the city. I did a little shopping, but decided to go back to the hotel for dinner and order room service. I picked at a salad as I wrote an outline of how I wanted to article about the concert to go. Before I went to bed, I checked my outfit once more; just to be sure all the wrinkles had disappeared. I set my alarm for 8am London time and fell into a deep sleep the moment my head hit the pillow.

I woke up blissfully the morning of the concert with an ear-to-ear grin. I jumped into the shower. I just couldn't believe my luck that I was here. I turned on music and sat at the vanity to do my hair and make up. Before I knew it, it was time to head over to park. The actual concert began at noon in the park, with a reception for select members of the press at the Palace. I decided against bringing anything to take notes with, out of respect. I did bring a camera and a small recorder that fit into my clutch. I stepped into my Manolo's, feeling like a princess. They were a little hard to walk in but I didn't care. I gave myself a once over in the mirror and adjusted my curls a bit, gave my room one last glance and shut the door gently behind me.

I adjusted my dress nervously in the backseat of my private car as we sped towards the park, just a short distance away. We arrived quickly and I stepped onto the red carpet and an usher escorted me to my seat near the front. My seat was incredible.

After about 25 minutes, I heard a roar of applause and Edward and Emmett appeared on stage. Edward was wearing black suit pants, white dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and a black vest. Emmett was wearing a blue dress shirt and black pants. As soon as Edward began speaking, the crowd silenced.

"Thank you all for being here with us to celebrate our mother," he began as a picture of Elizabeth appeared on the screen behind him.

"As we look back on the last five years, we are saddened that our mother is no longer here with us, but will be forever thankful for the time we did get with her," Emmett added.

"As we approach the fifth anniversary of the date she was taken for us forever, we want to celebrate her memory and are honored you are all here to help us do that," Edward said, his voice breaking a bit. Before I knew it, the concert was coming to an end. My car picked me up at the carpet and drove me to the Palace. This was the part I was nervous about, fairly suddenly. The concert was beautiful and exhilarating. Paul McCartney, Elton John, Mariah Carey. I was star struck. The moment I stepped out of the car, everything was a blur. There were photographers everywhere. I felt a little uncomfortable at first. I made my way through the receiving line and into a ballroom. I mingled with some of the other journalists for a bit before things began. I was so enthralled and overwhelmed, I couldn't even tell you what Prince Andrew (Elizabeth's husband) and Princes Emmett and Edward said. The entire night was a wonderful whirlwind that felt very much like a fairly tale. I couldn't quite place my finger on what it was; but I felt very comfortable in the palace, as if it was my home.


	3. The Meeting

**Chapter Three**

Back in the states, I sat in my office, staring at the screen of my computer; my cursor hovered over the send button. This was an e-mail that I was scared to send. An e-mail that contained the article that was to run with my account of the concert for the late Princess Elizabeth. I wrote it to the best of my ability. It only took about 3 hours to write. I sat down the moment I returned to my hotel room from the Palace and wrote the entire thing, before my energy fizzled out. To say that it was a magical night was an understatement. London seemed to truly bring out the best of my writing creativity. If it were not for my job in New York, I would pack up my things and move to London immediately.

Being in the presence of the royal family was absolutely intoxicating. Being a history nerd, it was incredible to be standing in the same room as a family so influential, so part of history. I loved everything about London. I had been so sad to leave such a city that I hadn't had the chance to see everything in just yet. I had to make sure that I returned someday. With that, I took a deep breath and pressed send.

It had been a few days since the article had come out and the response was overwhelming. I was thankful that so many that read the paper had reached out to thank me about how the article touched them, made them feel as if they were there. About how they too wished they could have been in the presence of the Princes that night, to show their support. As I walked to work on a sunny Friday morning, I felt very thankful for a job that I loved. I was scrolling through my e-mails on my phone as I walked briskly toward the office. It was a bad habit; I always wanted to see what I was walking into when it came to work. Victoria was good about e-mailing me if there was something urgent that I needed a heads up about before I got to work. Currently, things seemed pretty calm for a Friday. As I walked into the building through the revolving door, James, our doorman greeted me with a smile. Things seemed to be busier today, somehow, as if some kind of storm was coming.

By early afternoon, I had finished all the tasks for the day, so I decided to start on my notes for the staff meeting first thing Monday morning. I was hoping to take this weekend off of work to relax and enjoy the city. It had been a busy week with travel and writing. As if on cue, Jacob Black, a mechanic that lived next door to my apartment sent me a text message.

_Movie in the park tonight is Breakfast Tiffany's. You in? -J_

I laughed at the text message. How did a New York City mechanic even know what Breakfast at Tiffany's was? I typed out a witty response and sent one back.

_Sure, if you can tell me the name of the actress in the movie. ;)_

I set the phone on the edge of my desk and checked e-mails one last time for the day. I was just about to pack up and head home for the afternoon when Victoria appeared in my doorway, her pale face flushed and her flowing red hair a little disheveled, as if she'd been running.

"Victoria, what's wrong?" I asked, a little alarmed. She was always so put together. Nothing ever rattled Victoria. A year and a half ago when Mike Newton went on a firing rampage, she kept a steady hand when he called her into his office. He ended up just wanting to warn her of the cutbacks and long hours ahead, but still.

"There's…a, um, gentleman…in the lobby…he's requesting a meeting with you." She said, stumbling over her words, a little out of breath.

"Victoria, it's 4pm on a Friday. I just worked a 60-hour workweek. I am leaving for the evening. Tell him I'm not here and ask if this can wait until Monday. Except try to rephrase it so it's not a question," I said, waiving my hand to dismiss her. I didn't want to be short with her, but she should know after all the frantic 2am e-mails that I wanted to cut out early today. She didn't move. I raised an eyebrow.

"Was there something else?" I asked, a little short. She bit her bottom lip, as if trying to find a diplomatic way to address something.

"No…but you want to take this meeting. Trust me." She promised, adamantly. I rolled my eyes. It must be someone rather scary to rattle Victoria like this. I gave in reluctantly.

"Alright. Show him in," I sighed deeply, checking my cell phone one last time to check the time. I had a text message from Jacob. I laughed aloud as I read his response.

_Judy Garland. Duh. I'm not an idiot. -J_

I typed back a quick response before my visitor walked in.

_Um, no._

_Was I close? –J_

_Not even a little bit._

I set the phone to silent and powered down my computer. I heard Victoria's heels clacking down the hallway. I fluffed my hair quickly and stood as Victoria walked in with a man dressed in a suit. He was standing behind her, the doorway hiding his face.

"Ms. Swan, P-…ooops, sorry," she murmured to the man with a smile. "This is Edward, he'd like to speak to you about the piece on Princess Elizabeth's memorial", she said, stepping through so that Edward could walk through the door. My jaw dropped to the floor immediately.

Prince Edward was standing in front of me, looking impossibly handsome. I reached my hand out for a handshake, saying a silent prayer he wouldn't notice how badly my hands were shaking.

"Prince Edward, an honor," I managed to stammer out. He shook my hand and I waved toward the seat in front of my desk.

"To what do I owe the pleasure?" I asked, my hand resting over my heart.

"Ms. Swan, thank you for agreeing to meet with me on such short notice," he stated diplomatically. I tried hard to get ahold of myself to remain professional. The moment I got back to my apartment I could shut the door behind me and scream.

"And please, just call me Edward," he said, unbuttoning his suit jacket to sit down. For a moment, I had wished I had decided to clean up my office a bit instead of going out for lunch with Lauren today.

"What can I do for you, Edward?" I asked with a smile, taking a deep breath to calm my racing heart. I couldn't get over how handsome he was, dressed in a charcoal grey suit. He wrung his hands in his lap as if he were the one who was nervous.

"This, uh, this is going to sound strange," he stuttered, avoiding eye contact with me. I laughed a little.

"Try me. I'm good with strange". I said with a shrug of my shoulders. He nodded, taking a deep breath before beginning again.

"I read your article, the one on my mother's memorial concert my brother and I hosted. I was…" he paused, searching for the right word, as if he was translating from another more familiar language. "Very touched." I couldn't be sure, but it seemed like he had a small lump in his throat. I felt one rise in my own as I leaned back in my cushy leather chair, my hand over my heart, unable to speak.

"Anyway, I um, just wanted to meet you. And I wanted to thank you. No other journalist has been able to capture the spirit of my mother so eloquently".

"I'm touched Pr-,sorry, Edward". He sat across from me, looking as if he was burning to ask me a question. I cocked my head to the side.

"Was there something else?" I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me. He thought for a moment.

"Well," he began slowly. "I was just curious about something. Hypothetically, are you able to access records the general public is not able to?" he asked.

"Like what kind of records?"

"Crime scene records," he whispered, as if he was afraid someone would overhear. I arched an eyebrow.

"Has the Palace been the site of some kind of crime?" I asked, only half joking. He shook his head.

"Nevermind. Forget I asked." He said quickly as he stood. I rose out of my seat as well. He held out his hand for another handshake, "Thank you again, Bella. I just wanted to stop by to meet you," he said. I smiled.

"You traveled all the way to the States to meet me?" I asked, a little confused. He didn't answer the question.

"Thank you again for the beautiful response to the concert. I am thankful that you were able to come and glad you enjoyed yourself". He said, a little short, like he was in a hurry all of the sudden.

I walked home from the office in a bit of a daze. Had a Prince truly come to my office because something I had written about his late mother touched him deeply? It seemed so surreal. I walked briskly up the steps to my building and unlocked the door quickly. I felt like I needed to call someone, but who? Before I had to decide, my phone began to ring in my pocket. I smiled at the caller ID. It was Jacob Black, a dear friend from Seattle.

"Hey Jacob," I greeted, unlocking my front door.

"Please hang out with me tonight. I am so bored!" He exclaimed. Jacob had moved into the city not too long ago and still wasn't quite sure how to navigate the city, so he just stayed inside his tiny studio apartment.

"I need an hour to get changed and…recover," I told him with a laugh. I was debating in my head whether or not to tell him the events of today. If I told him a member of the royal family randomly showed up at my office today, not on accident, he'd never believe me.

"Sure, I'll pick you up in an hour. And by pick you up I mean I will take a cab and wait outside your building," he clarified. I laughed, I was so grateful for his friendship.

After I checked messages, I set my purse down by the front door and headed straight to the bathroom. I was in desperate need of a bath.

As I soaked in the tub, I had time to digest my conversation with Prince Edward. I felt connected to him somehow. Growing up, I idolized his mother. She was such an amazing woman. I feel strongly that while she changed the world, even from the short time she was here, she could have done so many more wonderful things. I never understood why serial killers lived for years but good people, like Princess Elizabeth, were taken from this world far too soon. As Edward sat across from me today, he looked broken. He looked confused, scared and torn. Even though her death was 5 years ago and he was a grown man, he looked like an orphaned little boy, sitting in my tiny newspaper office this afternoon. I checked my cell phone again, wishing I hadn't promised Jacob hang out time this evening. It was Friday and I desperately needed a night in.

Against my wishes, I was walking arm and arm with Jacob to Central Park just 45 minutes later. Actually, he was walking and I felt like I was dragging.

"Bella, come on! We're going to be late!" Jacob explained, walking quickly toward Central Park. I stifled a yawn.

"I'm so sorry. It was a long day." I admitted.

"Yeah, I'll bet. That story of yours seemed to go over great with everyone!" he said excitedly. I was a little irritated at his use of the word "story", but I let it slide. Jacob was just one of those people who spoke without thinking.

We made it to the park just as the movie began to play. I found a spot for our blanket on the lawn towards the back of the crowd. Jacob was notorious for talking through any movie. I learned early in our friendship to sit toward the back to offend as few people as possible. It was a beautiful evening in New York City. It was nights like these that I lived for.

"How was your day?" Jacob asked, as he unpacked the bag from our favorite deli.

"Jacob, why do you insist on going to movies to talk all the way through? We could have just gone to dinner". I said, looking around me self-consciously, hoping we weren't bothering anyone.

"Because this is an iconic New York City night. Besides, my girlfriend would never do this stuff with me. She thinks it's too cliché for a date night."

"How is Leah?" I whispered, taking a bite of my club sandwich.

"She's good. She's working a lot, though". He said sounding a little disappointed.

"Everything okay?" I asked, wiping the side of my mouth with the paper napkin.

"Yeah, it's fine," he shrugged, keeping his voice low, for which I was thankful. Jacob was a tricky case to figure out. Sometimes it was better not to ask when he sounded down and sometimes he wanted you to ask. Typically if he wanted to be asked, he'd sigh really loud after a long pause. I took another bite of my sandwich but didn't hear a sigh so decided to change the subject.

"Guess what happened to me today?" I asked, trying to bite back my ear-to-ear grin.

"Prince Edward came to visit you at work?" he laughed. My jaw dropped.

"How did you know that?" I asked, a little angry.

"Your assistant told me when I called. So what did he want?"

"To thank me for the piece on his mother's concert". Jacob only smiled and shrugged his shoulders.

"That was all?" he raised an eyebrow. I only nodded.

"Yeah, it was strange. It was strange, he did ask me about my access to records and stuff, but dropped the subject before I could ask why."

"Well you can ask him now, because he's walking this way," Jacob said, as if it were my editor walking toward me. Sure enough, Prince Edward was walking toward me, looking impossibly normal in jeans, a baseball hat and a black t-shirt.


	4. Every Journey

I had forgotten somehow, in a matter of hours, just how handsome he was. When he was in my office he was professional and in business mode, dressed in a suit. Here, he was just Edward. He didn't look like a prince anymore and it was attractive.

"Ms. Swan," he greeted diplomatically, bowing his head ever so slightly.

"Bella, please" I insisted, momentarily trying to decide what to do. Do I courtesy?

"This is my friend, Jacob," I said, introducing Jacob to the Prince. This was so surreal; I had to stop myself from laughing.

"I'm surprised to see you here," I said, breaking the slightly awkward silence. I pulled my cardigan tighter around my waist as a cool breeze came through the park as the sun set.

"Let's just say I have fond memories of this movie," he said, a little short. He obviously didn't want to provide any further details. He changed the subject before Jacob or I had a chance to. " Listen, Bella. I just wanted to thank you again for earlier. And I actually wanted to invite you back out to London. I'd be happy to show you around…the right way." He said excitedly. I tried to hold back my elated smile.

"I would love that," I responded, trying my best not to sound too terribly excited. He held out a business card.

"This is my information. Check your schedule and take some time off work. Let me know when you're coming out and I will make all the arrangements". I took the card from his hand, trying to mask the shaking of my hand.

"Thank you. I will take you up on that."

"Please do. It was a pleasure to see you both, have a good evening," He said, turning and disappearing into the crowd. Jacob and I just stared at one another, jaws slack.

Monday morning, I sat at my desk, staring at Edward's contact information. My work calendar was open on my computer in front of me. I was trying to work up the nerve to call. According to my work calendar, there was a week that I could take off to explore London. Next week. After that I began a few projects that I couldn't reschedule. I was booked solid for 6 months. I took a deep breath and dialed the phone number. I had to fight against myself to hang up the phone once it started ringing. I was no longer in high school; I was a professional adult and could act like it. The phone rang three times before going to an answering service. I took a deep breath, trying to steady my voice.

"Hello, Edw-Prince Edward, sorry. This is Bella Swan. We met in New York, I'm the journalist that—well, you gave me your card and I promised I would take you up on your offer to show me around London. Listen, I do have a free week for work, but I have to go either next week, as in 3 days from now or in 6 months. Let me know which time works best for you. Thanks again. We'll talk soon."

I hung up my phone and rested my forehead on my desk. After a few minutes, I heard my e-mail notification ring on my computer. I looked up, a little shocked at the name on the notification on the bottom right side of my computer.

_**HRH Edward Prince of…**_

_Miss. Swan,_

_I received your voicemail but am in meetings the better part of the day. Next week actually will best for me as well. I will send a private plane to pick you up at John F. Kennedy Airport Friday night. Does an 8pm takeoff work for you? If you'd like to go earlier we can work that out. Also, for the last time, please call me Edward. Not Prince Edward. Edward. Seriously. _

_Sincerely,_

_Edward_

I quickly typed back a response.

_Edward,_

_Thank you! I cannot tell you how excited I am to be back in London. If you could just tell me the best hotel to stay at? I called the Goring a little bit ago but they are booked up for the week. _

_Thanks, _

_Bella_

His response back was immediate.

_Not to worry. I'll make the reservation. See you in a few days. Call if you need anything._

_Looking forward to your visit._

_Edward_

I quickly opened a new mail message and typed out a message to my boss.

_Mr. Newton,_

_Just wanted to give you a heads up that I am going to go back to London for a week on Friday evening. I am unsure how much access I will have to e-mail. I need to take my vacation now, since we have those projects coming up in the next few weeks and then I'm booked solid for a good six months. I will give my assistant my emergency contact information just in case._

_Sincerely, _

_Bella Swan_

Now for the biggest question of all: how would I ever be ready for a week in London in 3 days, and how would I ever wait three whole days to go?

Friday morning I decided to stay and work from home. I just had too much to pack. I turned on and up the music, sat on my bedroom floor and began to sort my laundry. Suddenly, I got very overwhelmed. What on earth was I supposed to bring? I felt like anytime I was in Edward's presence I needed to be dressed up. I frantically searched through my closet. Nothing seemed adequate. I took a deep breath. I found the dresses and more formal clothes at the back of my tiny closet. I pulled out my royal blue wrap dress, nude heels, a black dress, a few skirts and patterned tops. I found a few clutches that matched and found my plane outfit. I decided to wear dark jeans, a black and charcoal grey shirt and red ballet flats. I finished packing my smaller bathroom items, leaving out the few things I would need later today. Now onto my carry-on items for the impossibly long plane ride. I picked out a couple of books and slid them into my bag. I packed up my laptop and cords and a few files for work.

Before I knew it, I was stepping into a shiny black sedan that would take me to the airport. I took a deep breath; grateful that I had a long plane ride to comprehend the strange, sudden turn my life had taken. The driver sped on the highway toward the airport. I checked my purse for my passport for what seemed like the thirtieth time in an hour. It was exactly where I left it twenty minutes ago. I took a sigh of relief, scanning my brain for something I should be worrying about.

Oh, like maybe going to visit a Prince?! I laughed at myself. I checked the compact mirror again to check my makeup. Not that it mattered. I could touch up before landing. In what seemed like a matter of moments and days later all at the same time, the plane was landing at the Royal Air Force Base in London. I sat nervously in my seat, wringing my hands in my lap. I took a few deep breaths to steady myself as I looked out the window and onto the evening landscape of one of the most beautiful cities I've ever been too. I couldn't quite describe the feeling London gave me. It felt like home to me. As I made my way down the steps and into the damp London air, I saw a black sedan parked near the airplane hanger. As I made my way down the stairs of the airplane, Edward emerged from the car, looking more handsome than ever. As I approached him, I tried to hold back my excitement a bit. I didn't want to show him all my cards just yet.

"Welcome to London," he said with a smile that made me weak at the knees. He reached out tentatively to hug me. I wrapped my free arm around him as he pulled me closer.


	5. Baker Street Pub

Hey guys! So sorry this took so long! Review and let me know how you're liking things so far! 3

Edward whisked me away in a shiny black car, promising to take me to my hotel. I was a little intrigued…he wouldn't tell me the name of the hotel, no matter how many times I asked. As the car sped through the streets of London, my eyes were glued out the window, wishing desperately I had more time to sightsee tonight. There were so many things I wanted to see; I just didn't have time to sleep. I wanted to soak in as much of the city that I could. I didn't want to miss one moment. Suddenly, the route we were driving seemed very familiar. Almost too familiar. Roads I had only seen on several, very special occasions. On TV. I looked over at Edward, narrowing my eyes. The moment he looked back at me, the expression on my face told me everything. He threw up his hands at my angry expression.

"If I had told you, you would have made a big scene!" he laughed. I shook my head, completely shocked. How had I not seen this coming?

"Uh, yeah. Pretty sure I would have made a scene." I confirmed, crossing my legs in the car, leaning back against the seat to take a deep breath my head was spinning. I didn't wear formal enough clothes. I bit my bottom lip, a horrible habit I'd been unable to kick since childhood.

"I don't understand the big deal. It's my house". He said, shrugging his shoulders. As if we were headed to an apartment in a trendy neighborhood. I crossed my arms across my chest. I just shook my head.

"Bella. It's my house. That's how you should look at it," he reassured, patting my knee.

"Except that your house is Buckingham Palace," I quipped with a smile. As if on cue, our driver pulled into the long drive leading into the Palace. Its beauty immediately took my breath away. It was stunning and beautiful; the epicenter of history in London. As we pulled up to a private entrance, staff was already waiting outside to open our doors. Edward and I exited opposite sides of the car as another staff member took my bags for me with a smile.

"Thank you, sir," I said as he reached for my bags. He nodded, returning the smile. Edward held out his arm and I hooked my arm through his elbow, looking around completely in awe.

"I gather that I'm out of the doghouse for keeping this little tidbit to myself?" he asked with a sly smile.

"Way out". I whispered. The Palace was so indescribably beautiful I felt it required a whisper.

"What are you feeling up for? Are you hungry? Sleepy? In a sightseeing mood?" He asked. I thought for a moment, pausing to take in my surroundings. I looked into his dark eyes and smiled.

"I want to do it all. Except sleep. But everything else. I want to do everything else. I want to eat and sightsee!" I laughed, placing my hand over my stomach as I felt my stomach growl. I'd been too nervous to eat lately. Now that I was here my appetite was catching up with me. Suddenly, Edward's face lit up.

"I have an idea! Come with me!" He said with excitement, grabbing my hand and pulling me behind him and he nearly ran through the deep red halls of the Palace.

"Are we allowed to run in here?" I laughed.

"I don't know, I've never been caught," he joked. He led me back to the doorway where we arrived. A staff member quickly arrived with our coats. He handed Edward's coat to him and helped me into mine. I buttoned up my coat and tied my scarf.

"I'll be right back, wait here," he instructed as he sprinted off down the hall. Before I could feel awkward, standing in the large gold and red room, he was back, holding car keys. I cocked an eyebrow.

"Just follow me," he reassured. He led me back outside and to a green Land Rover. He walked me to the passenger side and opened the door for me.

"Your carriage awaits". His smile nearly took my breath away. I climbed into the SUV. The interior was tan leather and while it looked like a typical Land Rover, there had been some changes to accommodate the royal family. The backseat was larger, for example. Edward climbed into the driver's side and started the car, turning on the heat.

"What sounds good to eat?" he asked, throwing the car into gear and speeding down the drive.

"Everything," I admitted, looking out the window again at the bright lights of London.

"You know you've been here before," he laughed, taking in my completely awed expression.

"I know, but I was so caught up in work I didn't get to see it like I wanted to," I admitted. Also, I'd been nervous as hell, but didn't want to admit that to him.

"How do you do this?" I asked, completely shocked.

"Do what?" he asked, navigating through the streets of downtown London.

"Go out in public and have no one recognize your car," I explained, shifting so that I was facing him, instead of the window. He shrugged.

"Some days it's difficult. It's especially hard in the daytime or on high tourist days. The summer is a nightmare. But for the most part, the people here are used to it and leave me alone". There was a strange expression on his face but I couldn't place it.

Just minutes later, Edward pulled into a parking space on a side street. I looked at the pub across the street. It looked exactly like a quaint English pub you see in the movies. Edward and I linked arms again as he led me toward the cozy restaurant.

"We must give you the full London treatment," he said as he led me through a heavy wooden door. The pub was crowded, but not overwhelmingly so. No one paid any attention to us, as if the Prince of England walked in every day. A hostess showed us to a small corner table, fairly secluded from the louder section of the restaurant.

We ate fish and chips and drank beer, talking about work and dreams. Prince Edward kept himself closed off for the most part, not revealing any detail too personal. Before I knew it, I was a little buzzed.

"What do you say we walk around a bit, Bakers Street is just a few blocks up," Edward suggested, finishing off his beer. I nodded, removing the napkin from my lap and placing it on the table. Edward thanked the staff as we put out coats back on and exited through the front door. I pulled my coat and scarf closer to my body as we walked through the historic streets of London toward the infamous Baker Street, where Sherlock Holmes once lived. As romantic as an evening as it was, I couldn't stop myself from wondering what life would be like if Prince Edward and I were together. I let myself dream a few blocks until we arrived at Baker Street, were my thoughts were bombarded when architecture and history.

"So Bella, tell me more about yourself," Edward prodded carefully as I strolled down the cobblestone pathway.

"Well…you know that I work-" he cut me off before I could finish my sentence.

"I don't mean about work," he said, smiling down at me.

"I grew up in Seattle?" I began again, phrasing the fact as a question, as if to ask if it was the kind of information he approved of. He didn't interrupt, so I assumed this subject was what he was looking for. "I grew up just outside of Seattle, actually. I went to school in Seattle, obviously as a journalism major and where better to be a journalist than New York? So I packed up and moved and haven't really looked back," I laughed.

"What about your parents? Do they visit often?" He asked, looking up at the sky.

"No, not really. They're divorced. My father is the chief of police in the town where I grew up and my mother just re-married fairly recently and moved to Florida."

"That's unfortunate, I'm sorry," he said as we rounded another corner. I waved my hand.

"It's alright. I was young when they divorced. I don't really remember it any other way". I felt a little bad admitting that I was alright that may parents divorced and that it didn't really bother me to not see them to Edward, who would probably give anything to speak to his mother just one more time.  
>"Tell me more about you!" I said excitedly, wrapping my arm more tightly around his. There was an unspoken closeness between the two of us. I felt as if I had known him for years. He pondered for a moment before answering.<p>

"Well…Emmett, my brother and I, are both members of the Royal Air Force, although he is more involved currently than I am. I've pulled away from the air force a bit as my Grandmother has given me more Royal duties to assist with, since I'm the oldest. It suits Emmett just fine; he has no desire for royal duties. We rather like it that way," he teased. "He misbehaves a lot. We'd have to start paying out publicist overtime". I laughed a little, tucking my hair behind my hair with a gloved hand. Edward stopped walking, pulling me back and into his arms. I looked into his eyes with burning curiosity. Without a word, he bowed his head and kissed me.


	6. London Town

Hey Everyone-Sorry this is a little short, I'll try to make chapters longer from here on out, but I wanted to update ASAP in response to all your wonderful reviews. I'll write as quick as I can! Please feel free to review with your feedback, I love to hear what you are thinking! Also, as you read this chapter, I have never been to London. So if you have been or live there, please forgive me if I've gotten something wrong. Also, if you've been to or live in or near London-I'd love to hear your thoughts if there is a custom or place you'd like to see mentioned! Much love!

**Next Chapter:**

The kiss was the best one of my life. Wrapped up in Edward's arms as he kissed me, deep and long. I wrapped his arms around his waist, my hands resting on the middle of his back. It was a good thing he had such a tight hold on me or I might have fallen over from weakness that went through my knees. As the kiss ended, I slowly pulled away, my eyelids fluttering. Edward tucked my hair behind my ears with a crooked smile that made me melt.

"Wow," I whispered, clearing my throat. He only nodded. I rested my forehead against his chest, closing my eyes for a moment. This entire trip was completely surreal. He kissed the top of my head as an involuntary shiver spread down my spine. Edward chucked a little.

"Let's get you out of this cold". He said, taking my hand and leading me back toward the car.

"Well, it's only 8pm London time, but I know you're probably jet lagged," Edward said. As exhausted as I was, I didn't want to miss a moment.

"A little, but I need to get on London time sooner or later. As long as I keep moving, I'll be alright," I laughed, pulling myself closer to his body.

"Why don't we head back home and I'll give you the grand tour of the Palace. Don't worry; the rest of the family is out of town for a few days in Scotland", he promised, anticipating my anxiety about meeting the rest of the royal family.

"Sounds good to me!" I said excitedly.

It took everything I could to stay awake on the drive back to the Palace. The moment we walked back into the Palace, I got a second wind almost immediately. Edward showed me around the Palace and I tried desperately to take it all in, but it was just so overwhelming. Staff members of the palace milled about, greeting us as they passed. Edward chucked as we left a parlor.

"And I think next on our tour I will show you your room," he said, nearly holding me up.

"As much as I want to argue, I think I should call it a night so that tomorrow I will be all ready to sightsee with you!" I laughed as he led me up a large white and gray marble staircase. My room was up the staircase and the fifth door down, about 4 doors away from where Edward was staying. As I opened the door, my hand flew to my throat. I couldn't believe my eyes. It was a room right out of a movie. I was tempted to ask Edward to pinch me. The floor was white marble and the entire bedroom was about the size of my New York apartment. The bedspread was royal blue and white and the curtains were white lace with a rich blue satin behind them. There were tall white and gold dressers and armoires. There was a bathroom near the door.

"Is it too your liking, ma'am?" Edward asked in a funny accent. I spun around.

"I'm so speechless. This is so beautiful." I kept blinking, thinking any moment I would wake up and discover this was all a dream.

"Your luggage is in the bathroom. There is every toiletry you could ever imagine in the bathroom, but if you need anything, just let me know." He said, drawing the curtains closed.

"I'm just right down the hall if you need anything," he promised, moving toward the door. He weaved a hand though my hair and kissed my temple. "Good night, Bella".

"Good night, Edward," I smiled, standing there like an idiot. As he closed the door behind him, I held back the urge to scream and jump up and down on the large king sized bed positioned in the middle of the room. I made my way to the bathroom and had another small heart attack. The bathroom was large as well. There was a glass shower in the far corner, across from a large whirlpool bathtub that looked like it could fit about 6 people comfortably. There was a large linen closet near the door. The sink was on a middle island and a vanity near the shower with a white bench beneath it. As promised, my luggage was neatly stacked on luggage racks next to the vanity. I opened up my largest roller bag first and found my pajamas, face wash and toothbrush. All I could think about now was snuggling into the large bed and sleeping until morning.

Once I was ready for bed, I dug around in my plane carry-on and found my cell phone charger. I had a short moment of panic before I realized someone had left outlet adapters in a basket near the bed. I plugged in my cell phone and set the alarm for 10:30am, to ensure I didn't sleep too late. I turned off the light and climbed into bed. I think I was in a deep sleep before my head even hit the large down pillows.

I awoke the next morning feeling incredibly refreshed. Hands down the best sleep I've ever had. At first, I had forgotten that I was waking up in Buckingham Palace. I checked my cell phone. 10:15am. I couldn't believe I had slept so late. I switched my cell phone alarm off. And sat up in bed, looking around. The room was even more magnificent in the light of day. I made my way to the bathroom to get ready for the day. As I showered in what seemed like about 4 waterfalls coming down from the walls, I mentally went through my suitcase, trying to decide what to wear. If I were in London on my own, I would wear jeans, but since I was in the company of the royal family, I felt the need to step it up a bit. I wondered what Christmas morning was like here. Did they feel out of place unwrapping gifts in a gold and red parlor in their pajama's? Did Edward ever wear anything other than a 3-piece suit? I stood in the bathroom wrapped only in a towel as I sat on the floor and dug through my suitcases. Why hadn't I shopped more? Why hadn't I packed more? I settled on a nicer pair of jeans and blue sweater with ballet flats. I quickly did my hair and make-up. I stood awkwardly in the bathroom for a moment, feeling a little awkward. What did I do now? Do I wander the palace on my own looking for Edward? No…I'd learned my lesson from Belle in Beauty and the Beast on that one. I grabbed my purse and threw my cell phone in. I quickly re-made the bed and left the room, shutting the door behind me. I tried to remember from the tour last night where Edward's office was. I'd check there first. Just as I turned a corner, one of the Palace staff stopped me in the hallway.

"Prince Edward wanted me to bring you to the dining hall. He's just finishing up a phone call and will meet you there," he said, escorting me down the hall near the front entrance. I was led into the large dining hall. Edward was sitting at the head of a table that sat about 16 people. He smiled and rose to his feet as I entered.

"Good Morning, Bella," he said, pulling out a chair for me.

"Thank you. Good morning". I said, setting my purse on the ground and taking a seat.

"Did you sleep alright?" he asked, setting his cell phone to the side of the table.

"Yes, I did. Thank you. The best sleep I've had in a long time". He smiled, folding his hands on the table, leaning in towards me.

"What are you up for today?" he asked.

"Everything," I sighed. "I'm completely up for anything".

"Well, I have a couple of ideas. How about you tell me which one sounds good for today. Then we can save the rest for later in your trip".

"That sounds good to me! What do you have in mind?"

"Okay, first idea is we can do a little sightseeing around either on foot or in a car. I will warn you though; we do have to be more careful during the day with the paparazzi. We could see Kensington Palace, the Abbey. We can also go up north a little to the RAF base. My brother is there with his girlfriend, Rosalie. We could hang out with them for the day. We could see a play…" he drifted off a little. "Does any of that sound good?"

"Everything does! But I guess let's sightsee a bit today and then save the RAF base for the weekend?" I suggested. Edward nodded.

"Sounds great to me! Anywhere in particular you want to see?"

"Nope! You're the tour guide!"

"Alright. Are you hungry or anything? We can eat here or eat somewhere else. I'm fine with whichever". Edward suggested. I thought for a moment.

"I think I'm okay for the time being. Thank you though," I told him, shifting a little in my seat. I was too excited to sight see.

"Well let's get out of here then," he said standing, leading us back out the car.

The day was packed full of every site you could possibly want to see in London and then some. Edward took me to Westminster Abbey, the London Eye, Tower of London…I was just in love with the city. I begged him to take me to Kensington Palace, but he just rolled his eyes at me and said we'd visit things like that when they were closed to the public. After a day out with the Prince, I could definitely see why he was so frustrated with the paparazzi. More than several got a little too close for my comfort to snap pictures and ask personal questions. Edward handled them well and I felt safe for the most part. The only times I didn't feel safe was when they jumped in their cars and sped after us on the highways. By the end of the day I was absolutely exhausted. Edward brought me back to the Palace and suggested we watch a movie. He led me into the theater room. I sat on the large black leather couch as Edward turned on the projection system.

"Who is your favorite actor, Bella?" he asked, picking up a large remote.

"Christian Bale and Johnny Depp". I answered, without missing a beat. Edward chuckled.

"I have the perfect movie then," he laughed, highlighting the title "Public Enemies", starring Johnny Depp and Christian Bale. One of my favorites.

"You read my mind!" I laughed, snuggling into a fleece blanket.

Edward dimmed the lights and sat near me on the couch. I nibbled on my bottom lip and watched him out of the corner of my eye. I'd only been here a day, but I felt such a strong connection between us that it felt like we were together, even if we weren't.

A girl can dream, can't she?

At the end of the movie as the credits rolled, we just sat there, taking in the ending of the movie, even though we'd both seen it countless times.

"You know," I said, turning my body towards Edward's. We'd both slumped further into the large leather couch after the long movie. "No matter how many times I see this and see the brutality associated with John Dillinger's bank robberies, I can't help but root for him. I don't know…maybe it's just because Johnny Depp is just such a fantastic actor. He's just so…human". I said, taking a deep sigh. A very strange expression crossed Edward's face. I wasn't sure what it was, I couldn't quite read it.

"You amaze me, Bella Swan," he sighed, placing a cool hand on my cheek. I cocked my head to the side a little. "Likewise". He cleared his throat, placing a hand on his chin, as if debating to speak his mind. After a few moments that seemed like minutes, he spoke.

"Bella, that kiss last night…I meant every moment of it. I fell for you first when I read the words you wrote about my family. Every moment I spend with you I fall a little deeper in this". He confessed, running his hands through my hair. I was frozen for a moment. I couldn't believe my ears. I really must be dreaming. This couldn't be happening.

"Bella, would you maybe consider moving to London? I can't imagine spending another moment without you".


	7. The Unexpected

**IMPORTANT AUTHOR NOTE:-PLEASE READ THIS FIRST. **Hello my lovely readers. First of all, thank you for all your lovely reviews. Secondly, for those of you that are writers, I know that I don't have to explain to you that sometimes as you're writing, your characters take things off the beaten path and away from the original outline. Please keep that in mind while reading. I discovered that this was a necessary part of the story. I hope you like it, please review so I know what you think. You'll be very pleased to know that the next chapter is FINISHED (!) I'm just proofreading it. It should be up in a few hours, but if you really like this one, review, review, review and maybe I'll get it up a little quicker! Much love. Also. This one is much longer than I usually post. Enjoy.

**Chapter 7**

I sat there for at least a minute completely shocked, jaw slack.

"Edward…" I stammered, my hand over my heart.

"No, stop. I know you're going to say things like it's too soon and your job and life is in America. But you can't deny there has been a connection with us from the beginning". He argued passionately. I reached across, holding his hand in mine.

"You're right. There absolutely has been a connection between us since we met. In fact, for me it goes beyond that. But Edward you're also right. My job, my life, is in the States. It is soon, Edward. You can't deny that". I argued back, trying to find a way to let him down gently. I couldn't move thousands of miles away from everything I'd ever known. But looking into his eyes, I knew he wouldn't give up so easily.

"Just say yes," he pleaded. I shook my head.

"I can't say yes now". I said, looking into his eyes. He got up and began pacing in front of me before coming to stand in front of me.

"I'm not asking you to move in with me or to marry me right now. I'm asking you to move to London to give us a chance. I would move to New York in a second if I could. I would already be packed if it were an option. But this is my life. I cannot leave my family and my obligations. It would devastate my family if I were to walk away. I love my country, as you love yours. I ask you to move to London because I know you would thrive here. I've seen it in your eyes since you arrived. I saw it in your article. You belong here, Bella. You belong in London with the history. I could help you get a job and an apartment or I could not. I could stay out of it and let you be independent. Just please. Think about it. Think about how wonderful life would be". He pleaded. I sat for a moment, thinking about his passionate words.

"I will think about it," I promised.

And think about it I did. I sat up in bed that night, hair piled high on my head and wearing black leggings and an oversized 80's style sweatshirt the fell off one shoulder. I was stalking Skype, hoping Jess or Angela were on and unable to sleep too. Finally, about 2 am London time, I decided to log off and get some sleep to process the idea Edward had planted in my head. The truth was the idea had been in my head since my first visit. I did truly love it here, with or without Edward. Just as I closed my eyes and got comfortable in the bed, my phone buzzed beside me on the night table. I glanced at the screen, It was from Jessica.

_You are two days behind on similes. Love, Jess_

**I'm sorry. It's been a little crazy. I was actually just stalking you on Skype. Do you have a few to chat?**

_You are in Buckingham Palace right now. I always have time. Hit me. _

**Well. It's amazing. Love it.**

_Are you still considering moving there? I know you fell in love with it last time._

**I am actually. But something rather strange happened.**

_Rather strange? Gosh, you're a Brit already. _

**Things with Edward have been…progressing much quicker than I anticipated. You know I've always felt such a strong connection…but we kissed my first night in town, on Baker Street and I can't stop thinking about it.**

_Wait, you call him Edward? Man I'm jealous. _

_YOU KISSED HIM?! _

I chuckled that it took her an extra minute to read my last text completely to get that information.

**Yes. Anyway. Tonight we laid kind of low since we did so much sightseeing and since Mr. Jetlag wants to be my best friend. We watched a super unromantic movie (except for the fact that it starred both Christian Bale AND Johnny Depp) and then at the end…out of the blue, he asked me to consider moving to London. To be together. **

It took her a fairly long time to compose her reply.

_Bella. I'm so happy and excited for and jealous of you all at the same time. That's big. After only a few days. How are you feeling about that? That's a big step…I mean, I know you were considering moving long before you actually met him, so there's that, but that's still a big step. Are you dating?_

**No, I don't think so. Ha-I feel like I'm in high school again with that response. We've not characterized anything as a date or boyfriend/girlfriend but let's remember that a) he is a PRINCE and b) that I live thousands of miles away in New York city. **

_So? You're a catch too. But you need to remember that yes, he is a Prince. That's going to be incredibly tough on you once the press finds out that you even know him, let alone moved from the States to be with him. _

She made a terrific point.

**That's very true. I hadn't thought of that. **

_Listen, it's the middle of the night there. Don't make any decisions right now. You still have a couple of days there. See how they go. If you still don't know, then come back to NYC as planned and see what happens. There is no need to rush anything here. Just get some sleep tonight and see how you feel in the next few days. Text me if you need anything. I love and miss you. _

**Thanks, Jess. Love and miss you too. Girls weekend when I'm back stateside. **

I quickly erased the text messages, mostly out of paranoia and drifted off to a deep, dreamless sleep.

The next morning, we were going to see Edward's younger brother, Emmett, who lived north of London near the RAF base. It was a colder fall day. I pulled on a pair of leggings, brown boots that came to just above my knee and a long, red flannel shirt with a brown crochet cap. I touched up my hair and make up, feeling more nervous today. I checked myself over once more in the mirror before tidying up the room a little before I met Edward downstairs.

As I descended the stairs, I saw Edward waiting at the foot of the stairs with a coffee cup.

"Good morning," he greeted quietly, handing me the cup.

"Thank you, good morning to you as well". I said, following him outside. As he came around to the passenger side to open my door, he paused, squinting a bit.

"I didn't make this completely awkward last night, did I?" He asked, though it seemed as if he was a little afraid of my answer. I leaned in and kissed his cheek.

"No. You didn't", I promised before climbing into the car. He shut the door behind me.

As the drive to the base was a few hours, I took the opportunity to discuss moving.

"Well, since we have some time. Could we discuss what me moving might look like?" I asked taking a long sip of the hot coffee.

"Sure. What would you like to know?" he asked.

"Well, how would this work?" I asked, unsure of which question to start with.

"However you want it to work. I told you last night, I'm open to whatever you're most comfortable with". I nodded, watching the tourist's wave wildly at the car as we drove by.

"I don't know that I'm ready to deal with all the press, Edward," I said honestly.

"No one ever is. If it was a factor I could eliminate, I would. But you could chalk up a point for London on that one. Even at its worst, the paparazzi here are nowhere near as crazy as the New York paparazzi. Not to mention the press in America would be all over you. At least here the Palace staff deals with all media announcements." He did have a point. I knew for a fact that I would be on the cover of every weekly tabloid magazine if this became something more than a friendship.

"Fair enough. Just so that you know where I stand, I'm so appreciative that you are so wiling to help me get on my feet, but if I do decide to do this, I would greatly appreciate it if you would grant me the space to be independent and get an apartment and a job. I do hope, however, that you would help me find good areas for an apartment, though".

"I can respect that". Edward said, turning onto the expressway. "May I ask you a question?" Edward asked, glancing over at me quickly. I nodded in agreement.

"I'll allow it," I laughed.

"May I ask where you stand, at this moment?" he asked. He seemed to be treading carefully.

"Currently, in this exact moment, I was already playing with the idea of moving, since the first time I was here for your mothers concert, actually. I am still considering it, as promised, but to be honest, at this exact moment, I am thinking it would be best for me to return to America through at least Thanksgiving or so to tie up loose ends back there". I told him honestly. Thanksgiving was just a few weeks away. Edward only nodded. He had a perfect poker face so I couldn't tell what he was thinking in terms of my current stance on the issue.

"I really hate to be the girl that brings this up Edward, but I really need to address the elephant in the room", I said, bracing myself. I hated this conversation. If I never had it again it would be too soon.

"May I ask," I began, "where do we stand?"

"I thought I made that quite clear," he laughed.

"If you did, you must have had a conversation with me while I was half asleep," I quipped.

"Bella, I am crazy about you and would love nothing more than for us to be together, but I think it best if we keep things between just us until we know where things are headed. It comes down to your safety. I try my best to stay out of the public eye, but when it comes down to it, there's really no way around it. My business life spills into my personal one and vice versa. This is a position I was born into. I owe it to my parents, to my mother especially, to take it."

"Fair enough," I responded. I sat there feeling a little awkward, unsure of whether I should prod the subject anymore. I still had no idea where we stood now. Luckily, he must have read my mind.

"I'm saying that, if you feel the same, I want to be with you. Just quietly," he laughed, taking my hand. I took a long sip of my coffee.

"I definitely agree that I'm not ready for the press to be all over me with this," I admitted. I'd seen tabloid after tabloid wreck all my favorite couples. While I'm sure that it isn't 100% the fault of any publication, it still cannot help an already struggling relationship, especially with one as new as Edward's and mine.

"I would do something about it if I could," he promised, kissing my knuckles as he drove. I felt something strange in the pit of my stomach as we sped toward the RAF base. I realized I was already halfway through my trip and in 3 short days, I would be leaving London. As much as I hate to admit it (and would never do so out loud, I have too much pride for that), Edward was right. I belonged in London. London was my home now.

We arrived on base in the beautiful English countryside a few hours later. I looked around with awe as Edward led me to Emmett's apartment.

"Did you live up here at one point as well?" I asked, straightening my shirt. Edward was walking a half step ahead of me. He nodded.

"I did", he said proudly.

"Where is your official residence?" I asked a little quickly. How was I to call myself this man's girlfriend and not know where he lived? He turned to look at me strangely.

"I don't know what you mean by that", he laughed.

"I mean, I know you have a room at the Palace and an apartment at Kensington Palace. But where do you call 'home'?" I asked. He nodded in understanding and thought for a moment.

"I guess right now I spend most of my time at Kensington. My room in the Palace is like my childhood room. I also spend a lot of time at our home in Edinburgh. That's my favorite place". He was staring at his feet, hands stuffed in the pockets of his dark jeans. He looked awfully sad for someone that was talking about his favorite place.

"Everything okay?" I asked, lightly touching his bicep. He smiled at me again, but it was a sad smile this time.

"It's just…well, that's where we secretly buried my mother," he said, looking around as if he was afraid someone would hear. The press had reported she'd been buried somewhere up here…near the Air Force base on some kind of remote island that you couldn't really get to.

"We considered burying here on this little island a few miles away, but we just didn't want to bury her anywhere that didn't mean something to the family. Ultimately, my father let Emmett and I decide and since she loved the castle so much, we brought her there. There's an old family plot that the press no longer care about since it's so old on the property near the house".

"I'm sorry, Edward," I whispered. I could tell his spirits were down and he was missing her. I wanted more than anything to envelope him in a hug but with so many eyes staring at me I didn't want to start any rumors. Edward was right. We had to keep our romance to ourselves for right now.

Prince Emmett was exactly as I had pictured him to be. I mean, I knew what he looked like of course, but he was always so serious and reserved in front the cameras and in public that I wasn't sure what to expect. Based on some of the stories Edward had told me the last few days, I knew he was going to be a lot of fun.

"Bella, I just wanted to thank you in person for the article you wrote about my mother," he said sincerely, holding my hand in both of his.

"Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed it Pr-" he held up a hand to stop me.

"Please do not call me Prince anything," he laughed. "Emmett".

I nodded in agreement.

"Thank you, Emmett. It's great to finally meet you".

"Likewise. I've heard all about you," Emmett said, smiling at Edward, who looked a little aggravated that he had said something.

"Why are you pissed?" Emmett asked loudly. Edward just rolled his eyes.

"Well? You're dating, aren't you? I think the cats out of the bag, Edward". Emmett argued. I had to try very hard not to start giggling like a 3rd grader.

"So Bella, how about we head to a pub?" Emmett suggested. Edward firehosed that idea immediately.

"Emmett, you know we can't go anywhere in public. You, me, Bella and Rose? The papers will be all over that".

"You're not in London anymore, no one cares Edward". Emmett rolled his eyes this time and held an arm out to escort me.

"Are you in? Shall we live dangerously and get a beer in public?" Emmett asked, his facial expressing feigning scandal.

"I think I'd love to!" I agreed, taking the offered arm.

"I smell an unpleasant cover story tomorrow," Edward groaned, dragging his feet behind us.

We piled into Edward's car and drove a little further into a quaint little town just a few minutes away from the base. Emmett had promised Rosalie we'd meet her there. Rosalie intimidated me from the moment we met. She was kind and beautiful. She seemed to have her life completely together. She worked at the Palace as the president of a charity with the Queen, which is how she met Emmett.

About halfway through dinner, our table got quiet as we inhaled our food. I took a long sip of wine.

"Oh, Edward, I'm so sorry, I forgot to tell you. You need to get a suit for the party". She said, stabbing a piece of fish with her fork. Edward only raised an eyebrow.

"No. I have at least a hundred. I don't need a new one". He said, adamantly, not even looking up from his plate.

"Edward your stylist called me herself. Since you don't have a girlfriend it's my duty". Emmett, Edward and I exchanged surprised glance but went back to eating. I wasn't about to correct her. Not with all these people here.

"Well Alice will just need to deal with it, because I'm not. I just got a new one 3 weeks ago."

"And you wore it to that wedding. The one with the groom that we nicknamed Weasel?" Rosalie said, laughing. Emmett nearly spit out his beer.

"That's right! Oh man. I think I lost that bet. That was almost a month ago. I bet Dad that she'd finally wake up and realize she could do better after 29 days". Emmett pouted.

"Serves you right for betting on a divorce at a wedding," Rosalie shrugged, as if it didn't surprise her that her boyfriend had been gambling on such things. Edward and Emmett began talking about family issues, so Rosalie turned to me.

"So Bella, tell me about yourself. Where are you from?"

"A small town outside of Seattle, Washington. I went to school there and after college I moved to New York City. I work for the paper there".

"Yes, I read your article. Very well written. Your parents must be proud," she said with a sincere smile.

"They are. Thank you".

"What do your parents do? Are they still in Seattle?"

"My dad is, yes. He's the chief of police. My mom just re-married and moved south. She jumps jobs a lot. She gets sick of things very quickly". I laughed. Rosalie smiled in agreement.

"I can relate to that".

"How about you? What do you do, Rosalie? I know you said you were the president of a charity at the Palace, but tell me about your job".

"Well, the Queen has about 5 charities that office out of either Buckingham or Kensington Palace. I head up a children's charity. We do events for families of children that are in the hospital".

"Girls, we'd better get going," Emmett said, placing a hand over Rosalie's. I hugged Rosalie goodbye.

"It was great to meet you, I hope to see you again soon!" I said enthusiastically.

Edward opened the door for me and I hopped back into the car with Edward and Emmett as Rosalie sped away in an expensive red convertible.

We dropped Emmett off at base and drove back to London. I was truly sad to leave Emmett. He was so funny and so much fun to be around. I was, however, glad to have Edward to myself again.

It was late when we returned to the Palace. Edward kissed me good night at the door. I was still a little wired from the wine at dinner, so I decided to take a long bubble bath in the large whirlpool built for a queen. As I relaxed, I heard my phone buzz in my purse. I rolled my eyes and ignored it. It was probably Jessica or Mike. I leaned back onto the cold marble and closed my eyes. How did I get here? A few months ago, I was struggling to make ends me and now I'm in Buckingham Palace taking a bubble bath. My phone buzzed again. I groaned. How was a girl to relax in a Palace? I should have left my phone in the bedroom so I couldn't hear it. I felt just like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman in that scene where she's singing a Prince song in the bathtub. My phone buzzed again. I sighed. There was no way I was going to relax. I stepped carefully out of the bathtub and into the shower to rinse off the bubbles. I shampooed my hair quickly. I stepped back out to hear my phone buzzing. Again. Who the hell could this be? I toweled off quickly, wrapping the towel around my torso. I tiptoed around the puddles and checked my cell phone. 10 missed calls all from the same phone number. It was a Seattle area code, but I didn't recognize the number. I slipped on a pair of yoga pants and a sweatshirt. Just as I was pulling the sweatshirt over my head, my phone rang again. This time I picked up immediately.

"Bella Swan". I answered.

"Bella, it's Jake". His voice sounded off. I checked the face of my phone. He wasn't calling from his cell phone.

"Jake? Is everything okay?

"No Bella. You need to get back to Seattle."

"Why? What's wrong?"

"Bella, just get on a plane and fly to Seattle". He insisted.

"Jake, I'm an adult, not a child. I'm in London. You're going to need to give more to go on. I'm in London, for crying out loud. It's not like I'm in New York".

"Shit. I forgot." He said, sounding legitimately upset.

"You are driving me insane, Jake. What is going on?" My mind raced through the thousands of possibilities. Did the media get wind that I was dating a prince? Were they swarming my dad's house? Dating a prince was certainly making me paranoid.

"Fine, I'll tell you but you need to hang up the phone, get a cab and get on the first flight to Seattle."

"I'll make that call once you tell me what the hell is going on," I was frustrated now.

"Bella, I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this, but your dad was hurt very badly. He was shot. That's all I know. The hospital won't tell anyone anything further until you arrive. I'll pick you up at the airport, just text me once you get to the airport". If he said anything else after that, I didn't hear it. I dropped the phone and began flying around the bedroom and bathroom like a tornado, packing in a hurry. I threw my wet hair into a ponytail and pulled on my running shoes, not bothering to change. I threw everything into my suitcases and zipped them up, stacking them by the door. I quickly cleaned the bathroom the best I could and made the bed.

_Edward._

I stood still for a moment, trying to decide what to do. I checked my watch. It was after 1:45am. There was no way he was awake. I didn't want to wake him up. I didn't have time to explain. I needed to get to Heathrow. I shut the lights off and quietly wheeled my suitcases to the stairs. A security officer met me at the stairs.

"Ms. Swan? Is everything okay?" he asked, concerned. I realized tears were streaking down my face.

"I need to get to the airport as soon as possible and I don't want to wake Prince Edward. Is it possible for someone to take me?" I asked, trying to keep the lump in my throat down as soon as possible. Once I started crying I wouldn't be able to stop.

"Of course, right away Ms. Swan. Let me take your baggage. I'll put them in the car and meet you outside." I nodded in thanks and ran back upstairs to grab my purse. I checked once more and looked at Edward's door sadly. I took a deep breath and walked out of the Palace and into the Range Rover.

Once I got in, Edward's security officer, George, sped off to the airport.

"Everything okay, Ms. Swan?" he asked. He was a kind older man who reminded me of my father. I shook my head as more tears fell.

"My father is a police officer in America. He was badly hurt on the job. I don't know anything else except that the hospital can't do much without me there to make medical decisions". I said, my voice choking.

"I'm very sorry, Ms. Swan,"

"Bella, please" I said, attempting a smile.

"Is there any paper that I could write Edward a note? I don't want him to think I ran out in the middle of the night".

"Of course. In the glove compartment." I nodded in thanks. I took out a pen from my purse and pulled a pad of paper from the glove compartment. I switched on an interior light as the Range Rover pulled onto the expressway toward the airport.

_Edward,_

_I am so sorry to have left like this. My dad was injured at work early this morning and I didn't want to wake you. I had to leave immediately. I'll call when I can._

_Bella_

My tears were a mix of having to say goodbye to London so quickly, without any plans of returning, saying goodbye to Edward without actually being able to say goodbye and most of all, my dad who was lying in a hospital thousands of miles away, who I may never see again.

As I got out of the car at the curb, I handed the note to George.

"Would you mind seeing that Edward gets this?" I asked.

"I'll give it to him myself, ma'am." He said. I smiled and shook his outstretched hand.

"Good luck, Ms. Swan. I hope to see you again soon. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your father," he said kindly. The tears started again.

"Thank you," I choked.

I rushed inside the airport and to the United ticket counter and bought a ticket to the first flight out. I would still have to wait nearly 2 hours. At least it would give me time to call Jake and the hospital to see if they would give me any details over the phone. I handed my credit card to the ticket attendant without even asking for a total and checked my bags as quickly as I could. I made it through security and stopped for a cup of coffee before heading to my gate. I dialed Jacob's cell phone immediately and he answered on the second ring.

"Hey Bella," he said quietly.

"Hey Jake. Any news?" I asked, wiping my eyes.

"No, no one will talk to us."

"Would they tell me anything if I called?" I asked.

"Honestly, I would just wait until you got here. Did you get a flight?"

"Yeah, I'm at my gate now. We start boarding in a little over an hour".

"What time do you land?" he asked. I checked my ticket. 1pm tomorrow your time. If that makes sense. It doesn't to me". I said.

"Yeah. I'm not far from the airport. Just call when you land. Have a safe flight."

"Thanks Jake. I'll see you soon". As I hung up the phone, I had to keep myself from absolutely falling apart. I sipped on my coffee and checked news on my cell phone to see if there were any details that might give me a clue to my father's condition, but nothing was showing up on any of the Seattle news outlets.

I nodded off a bit in the black armchair, but the boarding announcement woke me up. I gathered up my cell phone and purse and boarded the plane. Before I shut off my phone I texted Jake.

_Boarded. Everything on time so far. United flight 1731. Call you when I land. Love, B_

I switched off my cell phone and set it inside my purse. As the plane pulled away from the gate and sped down the runway, a single tear rolled down my cheek. I saw the lights of Buckingham Palace in the distance and succumbed to the tears.


	8. Sleepless in Seattle

**NEXT CHAPTER:**

I was wide awake for the majority of the flight. I tried my best to get a bit of work down, but I'd just take something out and stare at it. I didn't have any kind of focus. All I could think about was what was waiting for me in Seattle. Whatever happened, I knew I would get through it, but life may never be the same. I had to prepare myself for the worst and be pleasantly shocked if it weren't as bad as I was making it in my mind to be. On the flip side, it had to be quite bad if Jake was calling me to come home to Seattle immediately from London. If I had to be making decisions it was because he couldn't make them for himself. I shook the thoughts out of my head. I would not think like that. I had to think positive and be strong for my dad.

The plane ride seemed to take days. We finally landed and I near leapt off the plane. As promised, Jacob was waiting for me at baggage claim. I jumped into his arms and held my dear friend tightly for a moment. I pulled back a bit.

"Any news?" I asked, almost afraid to ask. He shook his head.

"Nothing new. They would only tell us he's in critical condition in the ICU". I held onto Jacob. It seemed as though I was standing in quicksand.

"Let's just get your bags and get to the hospital to deal with this". He suggested. I nodded and began to search for my bags as they made their way around the silver carousal.

"When is the last time that you were back here?" Jacob asked gently, probably trying to get my mind off my dad. I shook my head.

"I don't really even remember. It was maybe a year or so ago. Probably Christmas?" I guessed. It was really sad that I didn't even remember it. Finally I spotted my bags. Jacob grabbed them both and we raced back to Jacob's car. Once we located his shiny black car, he loaded them as I got into the passenger seat, closing the door behind me. I rubbed my hands together. My phone pinged again, registering voicemails and text messages I'd received on the plane. Three text messages and two voicemails from Edward. I couldn't bear to hear his voice or look at text messages right now. I could only focus on getting to the hospital to see my dad.

When we arrived at the hospital, I don't even think Jacob completely stopped the car before I jumped out. I rushed through the lobby and up to the reception desk.

"Excuse me, my father, Charlie Swan, was admitted sometime yesterday. I'm his daughter". The young receptionist nodded and typed something into the computer.

"Yes, he's in the ICU, room 3. Just around the corner, use the elevators to the left and go up to the fifth floor," she instructed as she slid me a visitor badge across the granite counter. I nodded and ran to the bank of elevators, punching the button over and over again until one opened. I got in and quickly hit the button for the fifth floor. I wiped my tears, just in case Charlie was awake and alert. I didn't want to scare him more.

As I entered the quiet ICU, I approached the nurses station. There was a nurse there that looked young, but kind.

"Excuse me, I'm looking for my father, Charlie Swan," I stated in a whisper as to not disturb the other patients and families.

"Yes, it's good you're here. Let me just page Dr. Burke for you. He'll need to speak with you before you go in. I know it's difficult, but he's on the floor. He'll be here in just a moment and will take you to see your father". She must be used to families throwing a fit at this rule. I just nodded and took a seat in a hard plastic chair across from the nursing station. Just as I was beginning to think myself into a panic Jake rounded the corner and sat in the chair next to me.

"What'd they say?" he asked quietly.

"They paged his doctor. He needs to talk to me before I'm able to see him". I whispered. I felt my cell phone buzz in my lap. I was about to pick it up when Dr. Burke rounded the corner. Jake held his hand out for me cell phone.

"I'll take care of it," he promised. I nodded in thanks and handed him my iPhone.

"Ms. Swan, I'm Dr. Burke. I've been treating your father," he said as I shook his outstretched hand.

"Bella, please. I'm Charlie's daughter. Can I see him?" I asked, my voice shaky.

"Yes, of course just this way. I'll let you see him and then we can talk privately in my office," he said, kindly. I nodded.

"Is he-I mean, I know nothing about his condition or what happened." The doctor paused.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Would you like to step into our conference room and I can explain everything to you?" he asked, pointing me to a room in the corner. I swallowed hard and nodded.

Dr. Burke set a chart at the head of the table and I sat next to him, stapling my hands together on the table.

"Alright, Ms. Swan. It seems that while your father was on duty this afternoon, he responded to a call for a domestic disturbance of some kind. The suspect then shot your father," he explained. My hand flew to my mouth in horror as he detailed the attack. "Now, for the size of the gun he was shot with he shouldn't be alive. But he is. Another millimeter in any direction and it would have killed him. I do believe he'll fight this, but we need to keep a sharp eye on him the next 72 hours. If he can get through that window, I would expect him to recover rather well. The shot went through his right shoulder. He did lose a lot of blood, so we've given him a transfusion to help with that". He explained calmly. I just sat there, horrified.

"Ms. Swan, would you like me to take you to your father?" he asked. I could only nod. We walked down another few hallways and arrived outside his door.

"I'll give you some time. Have the nurse page me if you need anything, Ms. Swan". He said. I thanked him and took a deep breath before entering the room. I will say that he didn't look as bad as I was anticipating. I set my bag down by a chair in the corner of the room and tried to make as little noise as possible. He had an oxygen tube under his nose and some gauze taped about his left eye. His body was pretty much covered in gauze. He did look very pale, but there was still a bag of blood hanging behind his IV. I just stood there in the corner, frozen and horrified, wishing I had woken Edward up to come with me. I suddenly felt very alone in the world. I sat down in the chair next to the bed and just let the tears fall.

A few minutes later, well into my nervous breakdown, someone knocked lightly at the door. Embarrassed, I wiped my tears quickly. Jacob poked his head in the door.

"May I come in?" he whispered. I nodded. He handed me my cell phone.

"Edward called. He's worried. Call him as soon as possible. I filled him in as much as I could". He said. I nodded, took the cell phone, turned it off and put it back in my purse. Just as I began to feel as if I needed something to do, a nurse entered the room.

"Oh hello," she said. "I'm Anna, I'll be your dad's nurse for the remainder of the day. Dr. Burke had said you'd arrived from London? How exciting!" She smiled as she moved over to check my dad's IV's, blood, and wounds.

"We have him pretty sedated, he probably won't be awake and alert for a few days," she said, as if to reassure us. I only nodded.

"Ms. Swan, would you like me to bring in a sleeping chair for you? You look like you're exhausted," she said. I hated that statement because it always sounded like an insult. Nevertheless, I nodded in gratitude.

"Yes, thank you". Once she left the room, I turned to Jacob.

"Would you mind going to get my bag from the car?"

"I've already brought it up. It's over at the nurse's station. I didn't want to chance waking Charlie with the noise before. But I'll go grab it for you."

Once I was alone with my dad again, I couldn't quite decipher how I was feeling. I'd never been the adult in this situation. Did I need to call people? Was there insurance paperwork I had to fill out? What about my dad's girlfriend, Sue?

"Here's your suitcase, Bella," Jacob said, wheeling in the big black bag.

"Thank you," I said, sinking into a chair. The weight of the events of the last 24 hours were beginning to sink in and I was feeling the exhaustion.

"Look, Bells, why don't you head to my dad's apartment and rest. Take a nap, eat, shower and then you can come back once your rested?" Jacob suggested, rubbing my back. I shook my head.

"No, no. I just got here. I can't leave him already".

"Bells, he's not aware right now. I'll even sit here and stand watch. I promise to call you with any updates". He offered again, kindly.

"Jacob, you're very kind but you know me better than that. I'm not leaving".

"Then is there anything I can get for you? Are you hungry? I think there are a couple of good restaurants around here for take out?" I thought about his offer for a moment.

"Actually that sounds fantastic. I think I'll lay down for a few and then we'll eat when you get back."

"Done. What sounds good?" he asked. I chewed my bottom lip as I tried to figure out what sounded good. The issue with trying to decide something like this is that you're in a hospital. You're surrounded by smells and sickness and disease, so even if something sounds good, it doesn't really sound good.

"Do you think the nurses would judge us if we brought in burgers?" I asked quietly. Jake laughed.

"No. That sounds perfect. I'll be right back. Burger and fries…what to drink?"

"Just water, unless you can find a way to smuggle a beer in". I laughed, only half joking.

Jacob left and the nurse wheeled in a big sleeping chair with pillows and blankets. Typically, it wouldn't look even remotely comfortable, but I couldn't resist, as tired as I was.

"Here you are, Ms. Swan. Anything else I can help with?"

"No, thank you. But is there somewhere that I can speak on my cell phone on this floor? Or do I need to go down to the main lobby?"

"No, you can talk on the phone in here. Just please try to keep the volume down".

I smiled in thanks and she left the room. I grabbed my cell phone and switched it on. I didn't even look at the time before dialing Edward's phone number. He answered on the first ring.

"Bella? Thank God! What the hell happened?" he asked, gravely concerned.

"Edward, I'm so sorry for leaving like that. I just launched into go mode."

"No, don't apologize. Please don't feel bad. Are you alright? What happened?"

"I'm alright I guess. Just overwhelmed." I cleared my throat. "The doctor filled me in quickly and just said that he responded to a domestic abuse call. He was caught in the middle of the altercation and was shot with a large caliber gun in the shoulder. It looks like he might have hit his head too."

"Oh, Bella. What are they saying about his condition?"

"It's critical right now. We're in the ICU. The doctor did say the next 72 hours are pretty crucial. If he can make it through the next few days then there is a good chance that he'll recover. I did notice he didn't say 'make a full recovery', so maybe there's going to be some extensive damage".

"It could be they don't want to give you any promises until they can be sure," Edward suggested, trying to cheer me up.

"Yeah could be. Listen, I'm so sorry to cut this short but I'm going to let you go. I'm going to try to sleep a bit." I said, my eyelids getting heavier by the second.

"Okay, yeah, that's a good idea. Listen, Bella, call me if you need anything. Day or night. I wish I could come out, but I have some family obligations lined up through the week".

"No, Edward, don't worry about it. I'll be okay. I'll call you later". I ended the call, curled up in the chair and fell fast asleep.

I woke up the next day in a fog. I was determined to get things in order today so that everything would be taken care of when Charlie woke up. I packed up my things and called Jake.

"Hey Bella. I just got here, I'm downstairs," he said, picking up almost immediately.

"Oh okay. Do you mind running me over to Charlie's? I need to get some things in order for him. I really need a shower too". I said. Badly.

"Yeah no problem. I'll just wait for you down here".

"Perfect, thanks. See you in a few". I ended the call and set my phone back into my purse. I kissed Charlie's temple gently, grabbed my luggage and left. I stopped at the nurse's station on the way out.

"Excuse me, I'm Charlie Swan's daughter. I need to leave to try to get things in order and call family. Would you call me if anything changes in his condition?" I asked the red haired nurse. She nodded.

"I will, Ms. Swan".

"Thank you," I smiled and left the ICU. As I was scrolling through e-mails on my cell phone, I had completely forgotten to call Mike. Add it to the to-do list. Jacob was waiting for me in the lobby, as promised.

"How's Charlie?" he asked, escorting me out of the hospital and back to his car. I shrugged my shoulders.

"No change".

"You look starving. Let's stop and get some lunch on our way to Charlie's," Jacob suggested as he unlocked the trunk. I lifted my bags into the trunk before we drive up to Forks."

"Um I'm not really down with going anywhere until I've showered," I laughed.

"Ha, alright then. Windows down road trip it is!" he announced, starting the car.

Just 2 hours later we arrived at my father's house. I stood before it for a moment. It looked bigger and smaller all at the same time. Jacob carried my bags in as I reached under the mat for a spare key. Even though I was just here a few years ago, the moment I opened the door memories came flooding back, they way they always did. We had some magical holidays in this house.

"Please shower so we can EAT!" Jacob yelled. "I'm starving"

I laughed. "Yes, sir". I grabbed my suitcase and pulled it upstairs to the bathroom.

It was the quickest shower I'd ever taken, but it felt good to be clean. I pulled on skinnier fitting jeans, blue long sleeve shirt, ballet flats and a blue, orange and green plaid scarf. I grabbed my purse off my bed and met Jacob in the kitchen, where he was pacing.

"Okay, okay. Let's go". He practically barked, escorting me out of the house. Jake and I went to an old diner that we used to frequent in high school. We practically inhaled our food, partly out of starvation and partly because we knew we had so much to do.

"So Bella. Tell me about Prince Edward", Jacob asked, looking a little frustrated.

"What about him would you like to know?"

"Specifically, are you dating him?" he asked adamantly.

"I have a hard time seeing how that is any of your business, Jake," I said, stabbing a crouton with my fork. Jake smiled. He seemed to be getting some sort of excitement out of this.

"You should call him. He's worried about you" I had forgotten that Jacob took my phone when I arrived at the hospital yesterday.

"What did you say to him?" I was a little concerned.

"Oh calm down. I didn't threaten him or anything. He was rightfully freaked out, so I just told him your father had been seriously injured in the line of duty".

"That's it?"

"He asked how you were and I said I'd take care of you. That's it". I groaned internally. That must have been why Edward was so thoroughly freaked out last night. Aside from the fact that I'm a coward that left a palace in the middle of the night.

After lunch, Jacob dropped me off at Charlie's to get some things done while he stopped by his dad's house to clean up and to give me time to call family. My first order of business was to call Edward, but the call went straight to voicemail. I checked the clock as his recording played. I had completely forgot about Prince Andrew's gala. That's where they all were.

"Edward, it's Bella. Hey, I'm really, very sorry. I should never have just left without speaking with you first. It was cowardly. I was just overwhelmed and I do not make good decisions under pressure," I explained, attempting a laugh. "Anyway, call me when you can. Things have calmed down a bit now. Talk to you later." I ended the call, staring sadly at my phone. I took another deep breath. This was the phone call I had really been dreading. You see, I love my mom with all my heart, but she is…well, she's unique. She's going to take this one of two ways: she was either going to be devastated and fly out here or she wasn't going to care much. Regardless, I wanted to get it over with. I quickly dialed her phone number.

"Bella! What a lovely surprise!" she slurred. Good Lord, she'd been drinking.

"Yeah, hi mom. Listen I need to talk to you".

"Is it about how you are on the cover of People magazine with Prince Edward?"

"What? Yikes. The palace must be having a melt down. Focus Bella. "Mom. I need you to focus".

"You too, Bella. When did you meet a PRINCE?" I groaned.

"MOM! When is the last time I called you in the middle of the day during the week?"

"Never. What's up?"

"Dad was hurt on duty yesterday. He was shot and is hurt pretty badly. I was only able to speak with the doctor for a few minutes last night when I got in but it sounds like he's in a medically induced coma. He's in the ICU and has to be carefully observed the next 48 hours".

"Oh my God, Bella," that seemed to sober her up quick. "What's his prognosis? Do you want me to fly out?"

"The doctors said it's difficult to give us a prognosis at this moment, they said the next 48 hours are critical. It's up to you. I'll stay until he's on his feet and all".

"Okay. Well let me know if you want to me come out".

"I will, Mom. Thanks. Love you".

"Love you too".

I hung up the phone, my head in my hands. Worst phone call was over. Next up was Sue. I found her name in my contacts and dialed. Why, oh why, didn't Charlie keep booze in the house? I could use a drink right about now. I got Sue's voicemail.

"Hey Sue, it's Bella. When you get a chance can you call me back? Thanks!" I ended the call again, sitting at the kitchen table, feeling completely overwhelmed. It isn't often that as a single woman I sit and wait for a knight on a white horse. In fact, it wasn't something I ever did. And yet here I sat, wishing for someone to help with the slack every now and then. A new wave of guilt washed over me. I pinched the bridge of my nose. I had a knight on a white horse that would have flown across the ocean with me to sit with me in a hospital room. I was so embarrassed with myself for acting like a schoolgirl.

Review please?


	9. Mini-Chapter: The Return

**Author Note: Hey guys, this is a little mini-chapter. I wanted to make sure I got you one more update before the crazy work week. I hope to have the next chapter up by Wednesday. :) **

Jacob and I were on our way back to Seattle when Dr. Burke called to inform me that my dad had come down with a virus of some kind. They had to move him into a more "sterile environment". I wasn't sure what they meant. Since I wasn't able to see Charlie anyway, I checked into a hotel across the street. I quickly set my things down in my room and went across the street to the hospital. Jacob had left to run some errands around Seattle. I was able to find Dr. Burke fairly quickly who walked me back into a conference room to discuss my fathers condition. Dr. Burke was carrying a large manila folder of scans.

"Alright, Ms. Swan. In the last few hours, your father has come down with a fairly serious virus. We've begun a course of antibiotics and have moved him into a completely private room. I am going to restrict visiting hours and insist that anyone in the room with him be in a sterile gown over their clothing". I nodded.

"Now, and please don't get too overwhelmed. But previously, we'd left the bullet in his shoulder as it seemed like removing it would do even more damage. However, if it's alright with you, once he's stabilized we'd like to go back in to remove the bullet. I wonder if it's the culprit for the virus". He explained. I only nodded.

"Okay. Well I will keep you posted. As soon as he stabilizes we really need to do surgery as soon as possible. Based on his last test results, I'm hoping to be in surgery by 8 o' clock tonight". I only nodded again, for at least the twentieth time in this conversation.

"Will you be around the hospital or would you like me to call you?"

"Um, I should be, but if not I believe you have my cell phone number". Dr. Burke reached out to shake my hand. "Thank you again, Dr. Burke".

As I walked out of the conference room and to the family waiting room, a wave of exhaustion overcame me. I sank into a chair and rested my head in my hands. I felt tears welling, but refused to allow them to fall. I wouldn't give in the towel yet. I would be strong for my dad. I checked my cell phone again; still no word from Edward. If I had blown it with Edward I would never be able to forgive myself.

"Bella?" A voice called out. My head snapped up.

"Jessica?!" I was so relieved to see my best friend and old roommate.

"Jake called me! I'm so sorry about your dad!" She said hugging me tightly. We sat back down in a quiet corner of the waiting room. The waiting rooms in this ward were designed to look more like living rooms to be more comfortable for families that were near the hospital long term.

"So how is he doing?" she asked, concerned.

"Not good. He's come down with a virus. They think the bullet that is still lodged in his shoulder may be what caused it. As soon as he's stabilized they're going to take him into surgery to remove it". I explained.

"Does removing it cause more of a risk?"

"Yeah. I guess that's initially why they left it in, because it was more of a risk to remove than not".

"Oh, Bella, I'm so sorry."

"Thanks, Jess. Thanks for coming". I said with a sigh, squeezing her hand.

"Where else would I be? Can I take you to dinner or something?" She asked, looking around. I bit my lip to consider it. I wanted so badly to get out to have dinner with my best friend but I didn't want to leave.

"Can I take a rain check on dinner out? I should stay here in case they take him to surgery. We could get some take out and bring it back here?"

"Sounds great to me. What sounds good?" she asked. Truthfully, nothing; I didn't have an appetite.

"Oh, what about that great Italian place around the corner?" she suggested excitedly. Spaghetti and meatballs did sound good now that she mentioned it.

"That's so perfect", I took out my cell phone to look up a number. They were even gracious enough to deliver the food to the front lobby, so we only had to go downstairs to get it. We found a small hospital bistro-type dining room on the first floor with very few people in it, so we got a few bottles of water and took over a corner table. Jessica unpacked the containers and distributed them.

"So tell me about London," Jessica said, raising an eyebrow as she took a bite of her pasta. I smiled, shaking my head.

"It was amazing," I said with a sad smile.

"What's wrong?"

"I messed up so badly, Jess".

"What happened?"

"Jake called me in the middle of the night with the news about my dad. I didn't want to wake him so I just left."

"Bella! You didn't! By the way, I get the vibe that Jake is a little intimidated by Prince Edward." I laughed. Of course.

"Yeah, I was getting that vibe too. That's never going to happen" I sighed. Edward was the person I wanted. "Will he ever forgive me for being such a coward?"

"Oh, Bella. He'll forgive you. I don't understand you, but I hope he does," she said with a giggle.

"I've left him a few messages, but I haven't heard back. We talked for about a minute when I first got here, but I was so exhausted so I just let him know I was safe and would call later".

"I'm sure he's just busy. That celebration at the Palace was all over the news today for Prince Andrew." Prince Andrew was Edward's father.

"I don't know. I guess I was so confused of where we stood, I didn't know if it would be appropriate or not to wake him up".

"Okay, I get that. But you have a cell phone. Why didn't you just call him? And then if he didn't pick up, at least you tried and could've left him a voicemail".

"I just was so focused on getting back here".

"How was the trip, up until the phone call?"

"Really great".

"Have you thought anymore about moving to London?"

"Jess, I can't. If my dad pulls through, I'll need to move back here to help take care of him".

"No, you don't Bella. He has a girlfriend and friends here that can help. There's no reason for you to change your life plans for that. Your dad would say the same thing and you know it".

"Doesn't matter". I said stubbornly. My cell phone buzzed next to me.

"Hello?" I answered.

"Yes, Ms. Swan, it's Dr. Burke. Are you close by the hospital?"

"Yes, I'm just downstairs in the lobby. Would you like me to head upstairs?"

"If you would that would be great".

"I will be right up".

Jessica and I quickly packed up our food to go upstairs. Dr. Burke was waiting for me at the nurse's station when I arrived.

"Your father has stabilized back to more normal test results, so we are going to take him into surgery, if that's alright with you?"

"Yes. Absolutely. Do you think that will improve his condition?" I asked, a little afraid to hear the answer.

"It's hard to say. As with any surgery, there are of course risks. But we are hopeful that removing the bullet with make therapy and his overall prognosis better".

I signed the consent forms and went in to visit him before they prepped him for surgery. I took a deep breath, holding off the tears for now. I kissed his cheek and whispered, "I love you, Daddy. Be safe". I tore off the yellow surgical can and tossed it into the receptacle on my way out of the room. The moment I turned the corner, a familiar face was waiting for me. I gasped and stopped in my tracks for a moment before running into his arms.

"Edward," I sighed in relief as he held me tightly. After a few moments, he pulled away slightly, holding me at arms length.

"Isabella Swan, say you'll never leave me like that again". He said with a smirk.

"I promise to wake you up next time," I said with a small laugh.

"I won't ever leave you. And that's a promise" Edward vowed, holding my face in his hands. I leaned forward and kissed him, long and passionate.

**Author Note: Please review? **


	10. A Big Decision

"I'm so sorry," I blurted out immediately as he cradled my face in his hands.

"Shh, stop it," he whispered, wiping my eyes with his thumbs. He leaned forward to kiss my forehead. With a hand on the small of my back, he led me to the waiting room, where Jessica was waiting. Her jaw dropped nearly to the floor when she saw who was escorting me.

"Jessica, this is Edward. Edward, this is my very dear friend Jessica," I introduced, pulling my sleeves over my hands to keep me warmer. It was also a nervous habit. I wasn't sure which I was doing more of at this point.

"Edward, nice to meet you," she stuttered out. And then…she curtsied. I snorted in laughter.

"That's not necessary, Jessica," Edward assured with a smirk.

"Did you just curtsy?" I laughed. She shot me a look.

"Bella!" A familiar voice called out. I spun to see Charlie's girlfriend, Sue, running towards me looking impossibly worried. She pulled me into her arms at once.

"Oh my, I'm so sorry I didn't get your message sooner. How is he?" she asked.

I quickly launched into the treatment plan Dr. Burke had laid out to me. She nodded along, but her eyes glazed over as she kept staring at something behind me.

"Sue? Something wrong?"

"Oh-no. It's just—that man over there, he looks like-" I cut her off mid-sentence.

"Prince Edward. Yeah, it is". Realization washed over her face.

"Ohhh, so your father wasn't joking. Oh, that explains so much. Go on". She said, non-chalantly. I laughed. I loved her sense of humor. I finished off telling her that they had taken him into surgery.

"So now we wait," she shrugged, before looking back over my shoulder. "Distract me by telling me about why Prince Edward is here". She said, crossing her arms with a smile.

"It's a long story". I said, not wanting to subject Edward to Jessica for too horribly long.

"Well, we have as long as surgery takes and I need to be distracted. It'll keep me from worrying". Just then, as if he had heard our conversation, Edward made his way over to us.

"Edward, this is Sue, my father's girlfriend," I introduced, as he got closer. He reached out his hand to shake Sue's.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Sue". He said sincerely.

"You as well! Thank you for coming to support Bella. That was very kind of you. This one needs to be supported every once in awhile," Sue said kindly, winking at me and rubbing my arm.

"Yes I was trying to convince her of that," he said with a smirk, winking at me.

"Well, I was going to try to convince her to go back to her hotel room and get some sleep. I'll help you if you help me," Sue told Edward with a smile.

"You do look exhausted, Bella". Edward said, cupping my cheek with his hand.

"As soon as my dad is out of surgery," I promised, even though I knew I would try another excuse once he was out. I'd deal with it later. Both Sue and Edward seemed to except the compromise for the time being.

The three of us went back to join Jessica in the waiting room. As I sat there, surrounded by those that cared about me, I realized just how lucky I was that I had friends that would travel anywhere between 5 minutes and 12 hours to be with me in my time of need. The time flew by quickly as we sat and told stories, sipping on tea and coffee. Before I knew it, before I was ready, two doctors dressed in mint green scrubs appeared, their expressions unreadable.

"Ms. Swan?" They guessed, approaching our group, who silenced immediately.

I stood, taking a deep breath.

"Your father is going to be just fine. He did struggle a bit in surgery and will have a long road to recovery ahead of him, but we expect that he should be awake and conscious in a few hours. We are unsure of any long term damage to his nerves and arms". They added at the end. Had Edward not been holding me around the waist I might have fallen to the ground in relief.

"Thank you, Dr. Burke," I said with sincerity, shaking his and the other doctors hands.

"We'll keep you updated. Once he's awake and we are able to move him from recovery to a room, we'll allow visitors during visiting hours. Until then, you all may want to get some sleep for the night," he said, kindly kicking us out. I only nodded in thanks. Sue turned to me.

"You heard the doctor. Head across the street to your hotel and get some sleep," Sue said firmly, but with a friendly smile. I only laughed.

"Alright, alright. I'm going. Call me if you hear anything?" I asked. She nodded.

"I'm going to hang here for a bit. So, you can relax and sleep. I will call you as soon as I know something," she promised. I was grateful. She knew I wouldn't sleep a wink unless someone was in the hospital waiting for updates.

"Are you sure? You can come back with me if you'd like?" I offered. She shook her head.

"That's okay. I'll stay here. But maybe once you're up we can switch spots". She added. I nodded in agreement before turning to Edward.

"I hope you don't mind, I booked a room in the same hotel, so I'll walk you over," he said, taking my hand.

"Jess? Are you going to head home?" I asked. She nodded as she stood.

"Yeah, but call me if you need anything," she said, glancing subtly to Edward, loosely translating to "Call me as soon as possible to fill me in". I dropped Edward's hand long enough to hug her goodbye.

"Love you, Bells. Take care. Call if you need me." She turned toward Edward. "It was nice to meet you. I hope to see you again soon," she shook Edward's hand.

"You too, bye Jessica," Edward smiled, before pulling me closer to his body.

"Let's get you to bed," he laughed, kissing my temple. "You look like you are going to fall asleep standing up," he laughed in my ear. I wrapped my arm around his as he led me downstairs to the foyer and across the street to the hotel.

"Are you hungry?" he asked suddenly as he led me out to the cold air. Now that he had mentioned it, I was starving for decent food.

"I am actually." I responded, leaning closer into his body for warmth. He smiled, kissing the top of my head.

"Do you think you have enough energy for something to eat?"

"Absolutely"

"What sounds good?" he asked.

"A burger," I answered automatically. I needed comfort food. He steered us to a restaurant just a block away. We walked quickly, eager to get out of the cold Seattle air. We hustled into the warm restaurant and slid into a booth in the corner, hoping no one would recognize us here. It would be slightly disastrous if our relationship were leaked to the media so soon. I didn't even need to open a menu. Our waitress took our orders quickly and we handed her menus as she walked away.

"Thank you for coming, Edward," I said again. I knew I'd said it before, but I was grateful for his presence.

"You've said that," he laughed.  
>"Well I mean it". I said. He started to speak again but stopped himself.<p>

"It's okay, you can say it," I reassured. He smiled crookedly.

"Why did you leave, if I may ask?" he asked. I had to think for a moment before answering, choosing my words carefully.

"To be honest, I'm just not sure. My head was spinning; all I could think about was getting back here to see my dad. I didn't want to wake you". That was the best explanation I could come up with on nearly no sleep.

"I hesitated flying out here. I didn't know if you would want me here," he said, looking down at the table. I reached across, taking both his hands in mine.

"I'm so sorry I made you feel that way," I said. Truthfully, I was heartbroken over the whole situation. Heartbroken that my father was lying in a hospital bed, heartbroken that I'd had to leave London and mostly because I was responsible for the look on Edward's face.

As we waited for our food, Edward and I drilled each other, eager to use every moment with one another.

"So, tell me Bella. What are your favorite holiday traditions?" Edward asked, leaning forward. I thought for a moment. That was a strange question. I wonder what had made him think of that.

"Well, since moving to New York, I've really had to make my own traditions, for the most part. The past few years I haven't been with my family for the holidays. Partly because I'm not that close to either of my parents, especially since they are divorced and partly because I've not spent the holidays with either parent in a long time". I said. He cocked his head to the side, ever so slightly.

"Why is that?" he asked.

"Because the last time I flew back to Seattle to celebrate Christmas with Charlie, my mother freaked out and didn't speak to me for almost a month. I'm not eager to repeat that fight with either parent ever again. So, I just do my own thing."

"And what does that entail?"

"I read Wuthering Heights every Christmas, go to church on Christmas Eve and then a friend always hosts a party Christmas night. I don't ever go anywhere on New Years Eve. Since I live in New York, there are always crowds everywhere. Large crowds give me major anxiety, so I always stay in and order Chinese food and watch old movies", I explained with a shrug. Edward was smiling.

"So are those plans changing this year?" he asked. The way he asked the question made me curious if he had an agenda. I shook my head.

"No plans to change them yet". I shrugged. He smiled.

"Would you be interested in spending the holidays with me? In London? Or if you would rather, I could come to New York". He looked a little nervous to be suggesting it. I thought for a moment, smiling at Edward.

"I'll tell you what. I would love to spend the holidays with you, but until I know better what is going on with Charlie, I'm not sure where I'll be. If he's made a full recovery, I would love to be in London, but I don't want to commit to that until we know something definitive".

"Sounds like a deal to me". He said, his smile widening. I thought to myself, quickly realizing that Thanksgiving was just a week away. I would have to make a decision soon.

"So tell me about your traditions, Edward," I turned the attention toward him. His facial expression changed, ever so slightly.

"When we were kids, our traditions were very set in stone. We did the same things year after year, like clockwork. My mom always made the holidays incredibly magical. After she died, the holidays became more of a burden than anything. If it weren't for my grandmother, I don't think we'd even celebrate Christmas anymore".

"Well, we will have to change that, won't we?" I smiled, trying to lighten the mood. I hadn't meant to make him sad.

" I look forward to it". He smiled back, a devastatingly handsome, crooked smile. Suddenly, I remembered something.

"Edward, may I ask you a question?" I asked him, looking around to be sure no one could overhear.

"You may ask me anything. I'm an open book".

"The first time we met, when you visited me in my office…you were asking me questions about documents, but then dropped it fairly suddenly. What did you want me to help you with?" I asked, my curiosity growing as I watched the expression on Edward's face shifted. He looked around nervously at the patrons.

"Um, can we save that question for later?" He asked, nervously shifting.

"Yes, of course. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked". I was a little embarrassed.

"No, don't apologize. Let's just speak about that particular issue a little later, somewhere more private".

"So," he said, changing the subject flawlessly, "if you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?"

"Oh that's a tough one. I would love to explore Europe more. Definitely would love to see Scotland, Ireland and Germany. Maybe France. I'm not one for anything tropical. I'm a bit of a history nerd. What's the best place you've ever visited?"

"I went to South Africa with Emmett and Rose about six months ago. It was definitely a lot of fun. I do love to travel; I would say it's probably the best part of my job within the monarchy. I get to see a lot of wonderful places".

"Tell me more about your goals, your passions," Edward asked as our food arrived.

"I would really love to write a book one day, though I'm not sure what about yet".

We sat at that little diner booth and talked for another 90 minutes, grilling each other about the most intimate details of our lives, like Batman or Superman and favorite movies. Finally, when I could no longer keep my eyes open, Edward escorted me back to my hotel room, where he kissed me goodnight before walking across the hall to his own room.

The next morning, I woke up to the sun streaming in through the heavy green and gold curtains of my hotel room. I stretched my arms above my head, wondering if my prince charming showing up was all just a dream. I wasn't quite ready to face the day, just yet. The last week, well, six months really, had been such a whirlwind. The holidays were quickly approaching and it was astonishing how different they would be from years past. Edward was my forever and I knew it. I also knew my feelings for him where borderline insane, seeing as we hadn't really been "dating" for longer than a week. Even still, I felt more connected to him after such a short time than any other friendship or relationship in the past. And then suddenly, everything completely made sense. It was time to stop leaving with so many walls up. I needed to break down the walls and begin living.

I would start by moving to London.


	11. An Ending

I got ready for the day quickly. I needed to get back to the hospital to get an update on Charlie and to relieve Sue from her post. She would need sleep as much as I did. I put on a little makeup, just enough to look decent and hide the dark rings under my eyes. Just as I was finishing up, there was a knock at my door. I felt my face lit up as I opened the door to see Edward, looking incredible, as always.

"Good morning," he smiled, holding out a cup of coffee.

"Thank you! Good morning," I took a sip of the warm coffee, feeling immediately comforted. I stepped aside to allow Edward inside.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked, sitting at the small table in the corner. I sat across from him, leaning back in the chair.

"As well as I could in a hotel room when my father is across the street in the hospital," I said sadly, looking down to my chipped fingernail polish. He leaned forward, resting his hands on mine. Before he could get a word out, his cell phone rang in his pocket. He shot an apologetic look my way before he checked caller ID and hit the ignore button, setting the phone beside him.

"You can take that if you want. I won't take offense". I promised, taking a long sip of the hot coffee. All I wanted to do was crawl back into bed and sleep for days and days. Wake up once this was all over; when Charlie was better.

"No, I'm fine," he promised, though his eyes looked a little anxious.

"How about you? How did you sleep?"

"I slept enough". He answered the question quickly. It was obvious something was bothering him.

"Are you alright?" I asked, taking in for the first time he looked a little disheveled.

"Yeah, I'm fine". He assured me. There was still something in his eyes that made me uneasy, but before I could open my mouth to ask, his phone rang again.

"I'm sorry, I thought I put this on vibrate," he muttered, adjusting the ringtone.

"Edward, it's obviously important. Just take the call. I promise I won't be offended".

"No, it's fine. It's nothing important. So tell me, what is the plan for the day?"

"I don't really have a plan. I was going to check in at the hospital, see if Charlie's condition has gotten better."

"Did you hear anything last night?"

"No. But Sue wouldn't call unless something definitive happened and I needed to go to the hospital as soon as possible".

"Alright, then lets go," he said with a tense smile. I raised an eyebrow.

"Are you sure you're alright? You look a little stressed out". I didn't want my stress to turn over to his stress.

"Sweetheart, everything is fine. I'm here to help and support you." He said, cupping my face in his hands.

"But this relationship has to be a two way street. I want to help and support you".

"You do. And you will continue to. Another week when things calm down a little," he laughed. I stood, placing my hands on his elbows.

"Edward, if we are really going to be together for a long time, there are going to be times that we both need one another. So if there is something on your mind I want to hear it". Edward leaned forward to kiss my forehead.

"Bella, if there were something significant to tell, I would. I just have a lot of work on my plate right now and it's stressing me out. Everything is completely fine". He tried to reassure me.

"Do you need to get back to London?" I asked, trying to be supportive, but it sounded a little strange.

"Not today, no. Eventually yes," he laughed.

"I'm serious, Edward. If you need to go back you can. I will be fine. I promise to call if something changes".

"Bella, I'm fine. I will let you know if that changes". Edward kissed me deeply on the lips. I momentarily forgot where I was and I why I was here. It was heavenly.

"I should get over to the hospital to check in", I whispered against his lips. He nodded and took my hand.

"I'll go with you".

"Edward, you don't have to. I'm sure you have a lot of work to do. I'll call you if I need you,"

"Because you've done so well with that in the past," he joked, one eyebrow raised. But I am just fine. I had my schedule cleared through the end of the week".

"Which is the day after tomorrow". I pointed out.

"Well then I can get away with not doing work until then. We should get going".

Edward led me across the street and back into the hospital. It felt heavier somehow today. Sue was in the same spot as when we left her hours ago, but she looked as if she'd aged five years.

"Sue? Is everything alright?" I asked, sitting next to her.

"Oh Bella!" she said, brushing away tears from her cheeks. "Yes, I'm sorry. Everything's alright. Charlie just had a rough night". My heart sank. I had been under the impression that things were going to get better.

"I spoke to the doctor, who said that they were going to keep him under close observation. They were going to fill us in once they were sure what was going on".

"Do you want me to hold down the fort here? You can go and sleep in my hotel room. It looks like you can use a break," I said gently, putting my hand on her back.

"No, I don't want to leave. I couldn't get sleep anyway".

"Can I get you a cup of coffee or something?" Edward asked.

"No, thank you. I'm okay". She said with gratitude. Edward's cell phone vibrated in his pocket again. I shot him a look. Did his phone always ring this much and I just wasn't aware of it?

"I'm so sorry, excuse me. I should take this," he said, excusing himself down the hall.

"Everything okay there?" Sue asked with a kind smile.

"Yeah, it's fine. I think he's going to need to get back to London soon, which bums me out".

"So go with him," she suggested as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"I can't. I need to be here with Charlie," I said adamantly.

"Bella. I'm going to say something you don't want to hear," she warned me. I nodded my head.

"What are your plans? With Edward, I mean". Her question threw me off a little.

"What do you mean?"

"Take your fathers current situation out of the mix. What are your plans with Edward? As if this all had never happened".

"I would have moved to London. In a heartbeat".

"Exactly. So move to London. Your dad would hate it if he knew you were rearranging your life for him".

"But it did happen. I can't move to London now. He needs me".

"Then when, Bell?" she whispered. I took a deep breath, sighing in defeat. That was a question that I couldn't answer. Not when my father was in a hospital bed down the hall, fighting for his life.

By 8 o'clock that evening, nothing had changed with Charlie's condition. Edward had disappeared for a few hours at a time, mumbling something about work. I was beginning to stress out that he was neglecting work for me, which is not something that I ever wanted to happen. Part of me wanted to tell him that I would be fine if he went back, but I didn't want him to think I didn't want him here. I was exhausted; both physically and emotionally. All I wanted to do was get out of the hospital. I wanted away from sickness and death. I wanted away from tears and away from the looks from my family and friends, like they were just waiting for me to completely fall apart at the seams. I needed to get away. And I knew exactly where to go.

Sue had graciously allowed me to borrow her car without asking too many questions. Not wanting to make any further mistakes in the Edward department, I shot him a quick text message.

_Edward, _

_I know you're working and didn't want to bother you. I had to get out of the hospital. I'll be back late tonight. Don't wait up. –B_

I sped up the rain soaked highway toward my safe place. The only place in the world I knew I could go to feel safe. La Push Beach. I knew it was stupid to be driving an hour all the way to La Push but I needed so desperately to get as far away from the hospital as possible. I heard my phone ring several times on the drive, but didn't want to risk picking it up. It was late and raining, I didn't want any more distractions. Only about 45 minutes later, I pulled into the familiar parking lot, leaving my cell phone and purse behind, locking the car doors behind me. I walked slowly toward the beach, thankful for the silence. I kicked off my shoes as I walked, rolling up my jeans. I stood in the wet sand, allowing the water to wash across my feet, dampening the bottom of my jeans. I sank to the sand, allowing the tears to fall down my cheeks. I felt free and it felt wonderful. I hugged my knees to my chest and allowed memories to flow through me. It was then that I realized I couldn't move to London. Charlie needed me and I needed Charlie. He was going to need a lot of help in the coming months with his recovery. The doctors still had no idea about a recovery time, since he "wasn't out of the woods just yet". What did that even mean? I hated when doctors played God. Since when was it their decision who lived and who died? And how long they had to live? Maybe Sue was right. I couldn't change my entire life just because Charlie had been hurt. Even if he were rendered paralyzed, he would hate it if I changed my plans to stay with him, just like Sue had said. I knew that I wanted to be with Edward and would do most anything to make our relationship work. I stiffened as I heard another car pull up. The cops patrolled this area closely. I knew they would come to kick me out sooner or later. I pushed my feet farther into the sand, as if I were rooting myself in the sand. I heard the footsteps as the officer traveled down the stairs and into the sand, coming to a stop behind me.

"We have to stop meeting like this," a voice said. An all too familiar voice. I turned my head quickly, my eyes straining in the dark.

"Edward? What are you doing here? How did you find me?" I asked, completely shocked he was standing in front of me. Edward smiled, sitting behind me. He pulled me between his legs, hugging me to his chest.

"You mentioned that it was your favorite place at dinner the other night. I rented a car and drove out after I got your text message. I'm so sorry that I wasn't there for you". He said, whispering into my hair.

"No, don't apologize. I know you've been neglecting work. I just didn't want to bother you".

"Bella, you really need to stop this," he said, only half joking. He rested his hands on the backs of knees. "You are never bothering me".

"I just needed to get out of there. I'm just so exhausted by all of this," I said, angrily, brushing the tears away again.

" I know. Is there something else?" he asked, tightening his grip around me. I shook my head.

"Not really. I just want to run away from this whole situation. I want to move to London and just be done". I admitted, wincing at how open I was being.

"Bella, you seem to want to run away a lot. You have to face this. That's why I'm here. To help you face it."

"I hate keeping you away from your life".

"Stop saying that. You are my life now. Let me worry about work". I turned a little in his arms, leaning against his right leg.

"Edward, I've made a decision".

"What is that?" He looked only mildly interested, as if what I was about to say was going to amuse him.

"I'm going to move to London. As soon as possible". Edward groaned, dropping his head to my shoulder. He pushed my shirt away to kiss my bare shoulder. It sent tingles down my spine.

"I thought we just had a discussion about running away". I was confused.

"I'm not running away. I'm moving. To be with you," I clarified, becoming agitated.

"Bella, your fathers situation is bad. You heard the doctors". He was beginning to speak to me like a child and I didn't like it.

"Seeing as I was the one who told _you_ what the doctors said, I would say I have a fairly good understanding of what was said to me". I said, my anger rising. I could feel the angry tears coming and tried to keep them at bay. At least until I got in my own car. Suddenly, I didn't even wanting Edward touching me. The entire premise of me coming out here was to get away from the "your father is dying" talk. I stood, moving out of Edward's arms. He stood soon after, keeping himself at arms length.

"Bella, I'm just saying that you should prepare yourself".

"Stop it!" I yelled, the angry tears falling, my voice breaking. "I am so sick of people telling me how much time my father has. That he's dying. No one knows that. He can come back from this. I know it". Edward only stood there, looking at me with sad eyes.

"Bella," he said softly.

"He will be fine because he has to be fine". I insisted, wiping away the tears that were steadily streaming down my face. I cleared my throat, reminding myself that I wanted to break down my walls to be closer to Edward.

"And in the event that something should happen to him," I began, my voice breaking, " I want to be far away". I admitted, looking at the sand and away from Edward. Edward sighed at my admission, walking closer to me. He took me into his strong arms and held me tightly.

"Bella, if he dies, it will be horrible. But if he dies and you're not there…I just don't see you coming back from that". He said softly, kissing the top of my head.

I allowed myself to cry, wrapped up in Edward's arms. He just held me tighter and tighter. It was a sweet moment and was exactly what I needed. After a few moments of allowing myself to fall apart, I pulled back in Edward's arms, ever so slightly.

"Thank you," I said softly. Edward leaned forward to kiss me deeply.

"No need to thank me. It's in my job description". I laughed.

"I wish we could drive back together. I'm so tired. I need someone to keep me awake".

"Oh, not to worry. I called the rental car company on my way here. They're going to pick up the car in a few minutes actually," he said, checking his watch. I smiled and hugged him tighter.

"Thank you".

"Stop thanking me. All part of my job description". He laughed. I took his hand and he led me back up the beach. As we approached the car, I slipped my shoes back on, pulling my car keys out of my jeans pocket. Edward reached for them.

"I'll drive. You look like you're going to pass out any second," Edward pointed out as he opened the passenger side door for me. I only smiled in thanks and climbed in, putting on my seatbelt.

The car ride back to the city was fairly quiet. I drifted in and out of sleep as Edward sped toward Seattle. I kept my cell phone in my purse, afraid to check messages. It was late, later than I had expected.

"I think I'm going to stop by the hospital tonight. I should see if I can convince Sue to come back to the hotel and get some sleep".

"Do you want me to come with you?" Edward asked as he pulled off the highway.

"No, thank you. I think I'll have a better shot with Sue if I go alone. Also, I'd like time to be with my dad alone. I hate when nurses and doctors are interrupting all the time". I explained. Edward nodded. Like clockwork, just as we pulled up to the hospital, the light rain swiftly turned into a downpour. I laughed, leaning across the seat to kiss Edward goodnight.

"Thank you for tonight. It helped more than you will ever know".

"Any time. Call me if you need me please. And please no more taking long road trips without my knowledge," he said with a wink.

"I promise," I kissed him again, jumped out of the car and ran to the awning. The hospital was warm, but still smelled of sickness. As I walked onto the ICU floor, I could tell something was wrong. I found Sue, crying softly in a corner.

"Sue? What happened?" I asked, rushing to her side.

"Oh Bella, thank God! I've been trying to reach you all evening! The doctor won't let me in to see Charlie and said he needed to speak with you as soon as possible!" she said, speaking so quickly I almost didn't catch what she was saying. Just then, a team of Charlie's doctor rounded the corner. They were dressed nicely in a shirt, tie, black dress pants and lab coats.

"Hi, I'm Bella Swan, Charlie's daughter. I understand you need to speak with me?"

"Yes. Let's go somewhere more private". Uh oh. I didn't like the sound of that. They led us down the hallway and into a conference room. I sat on one side with Sue, while Dr. Burke sat at the head of the table and two other doctors sat on the other side.

"Bella, I know you are concerned, so I'm just going to go ahead. I believe Sue filled you in on Charlie's rough night last night. He's developed a fairly severe virus in the last 24 hours and it's getting worse. We are a little alarmed he's not woken for surgery yet". I only nodded, not wanting my voice to break. "We've started a strong course of antibiotics, but he's still on a ventilator. We need him to wake up soon," he explained, before launching into a long medical explanation that I didn't even begin to understand. I just sat there as he talked to Sue, explaining the "odds", the things that I didn't want to hear. They were going to keep him under close observation. I decided it might be a good idea to stay at the hospital tonight and let Sue use my hotel room. With Charlie's condition worsening, I realized just how right Edward had been on the beach. If Charlie's health continued to decline, I needed to be here. I swallowed the lump in my throat and thanked the doctors as they led us back to the waiting area.

"Excuse me, Dr. Burke? Is there any way I can visit with my dad?" I asked. He nodded, a grim expression on his face and led me to his room, where he helped me into a sterile gown and mask before I entered his room alone. Dr. Burke escorted Sue back to the waiting room. I sighed, pushing my dad's hair back away from his face. He was still hooked up to a ventilator. I watched the heart monitor for a few minutes. It gave me comfort, reminding me that my dad was still alive. I sat in the chair next to him and held his hand. I took a deep breath, trying to steady my voice.

"Hey Dad. It's me, Bella". I laughed a little, "well, I'm your only child, so obviously it's me. Listen, I'm so sorry I didn't visit more. I promise, that will change from now on. I will make a commitment to visit at least every three months, if not more. Dad, I met a man. He's wonderful. Between you and I, I'm going to marry him. His name is Edward. He's a prince actually. So I guess all those dreams and my instances that I'm going to be a princess are going to come true. But I'm going to be honest with you. I want you there for all that. I want you to sit up and yell at me and make fun of me for wanting to move all the way to London, though I'm sure you and mom knew something like this would happen someday. Mom always told me that when I was little, you would both stay up and talk about all the crazy things I would do when I was older". I stopped for a moment to gather my thoughts. "You are a really good dad. I remember you being at every event when I was little. Every game, every recital, every award ceremony. You've been my hero since I was little. I'm sorry if this is the first time I'm telling you this. I wanted to be a cop when I was little to be just like you". I took another deep breath. I knew this would be the hardest part to say, but I needed to say it. "Dad, there's something I need to tell you. I need to tell you that I'm going to be okay. No matter what happens, I'm going to be okay. I have Edward. He's good to and for me, dad. But listen, if there's any way you can fight this, if you have any fight left in you, I really need you to use it. I need you to fight this and to survive this because I want you in my life. I want you at my wedding and to meet your grandchildren someday. But I also want you to know," I began, trying to keep my composure until I had said everything I needed to say. "that if you can't, I will be okay. Not at first. But I will. Someday. I love you, Dad. I'm so proud to be your daughter. Of all the titles I've held, Chief Swan's daughter is by far my favorite. You taught me the most important of life lessons. How to shoot a gun, how to be a good person, how to stand up for myself, to live fearlessly…the list is endless. But I've not lived fearlessly, not like you have, until now. I promise I'm going to be more like you. I want you to be around to see it". I took another steading breath as I checked the heart monitor again. I wanted to keep talking, but my voice wouldn't allow me to. I succumbed to the tears, crying into Charlie's bandaged shoulder. I don't know how long I laid like that, but I must have fallen asleep. I rubbed the mixture of sleep and tears from my eyes as I took a long look at my dad. I leaned forward and kissed his forehead and rested my forehead against his.

"I'll always be your little girl, Daddy. I love you," I whispered before leaving the room. I pulled off the mask and gown and deposited it in the bin before I left the room, taking one more look at my dad. Just as I left the room, there was a strange beeping noise. Before I could even shift into panic mode, a team of doctors and nurses in scrubs ran into the room. It took me a moment to discover that it was Charlie's machines that were making the noises. I couldn't even ask what was happening; an orderly escorted me from the room. She was talking but I couldn't comprehend what she was saying to me. Sue appeared, looking like someone had woken her.

"Bella? What's going on?" she asked alarmed. I didn't realize I was crying until I tried to speak.

"I-I'm n-not sure. There was beeping and then a bunch of doctors ran in and then they made me leave the room". We watched from across the hallway in horror as they worked on my father. I turned around and began walking toward the waiting room.

"I can't watch this anymore. I'm going to go sit down," I said, defeated. I walked to the waiting area, feeling like a zombie. I don't know how long I sat there, but after awhile, Dr. Burke appeared, wearing navy blue scrubs this time. He looked at the floor as he walked toward us. Not a good sign, I've learned. Sue clasped my hand in hers. I knew what Dr. Burke had to say before he spoke. I knew what he was going to say and exactly how he would say it.

"Ms. Swan, I'm so sorry, we did everything we could. His heart just gave out," He said, explaining in medical jargon what happened and why he died. But none of it mattered. All that mattered was the gaping hole that had ripped open in my chest and the fact that I was feeling like an orphan. The tears cascaded down my cheeks as Sue held me close. I needed to get as far away as I could.

"Sue, I need to leave. Now". I managed to stammer out. I raced toward the stairs, too impatient to wait for an elevator. I ran down the stairs, through the lobby and out into the pouring rain. There was only one thing I needed now. I felt myself losing it as I sobbed, running across the street and into the hotel, completely soaked through. I was able to hold myself together until the elevator doors closed in front of me. I punched the floor number as my breath hitched. I tried to take deep breaths to steady it, but it didn't help. Finally, the elevator doors opened and I ran through the hallway until I found Edward's door. I knocked, a little harder than I meant to. I had no idea where my cell phone is; I probably should have stayed at the hospital and just called him, but I couldn't stay in that hospital another minute. I knocked again, pacing outside his door. I didn't hear him moving around. I knocked a little harder this time; worried I was going to wake up the others on the floor. I didn't even know what time it was, but I assumed that it was somewhere around 3 or 4am. Finally, I heard the lock click over. The moment I saw his face I crumbled into a million tiny pieces. Edward just held me tightly for a moment, before carrying me into his room.

"He's gone Edward, he's gone," I whispered into his neck, my voice shaking between being soaking wet and the tears. I was completely numb.

"What can I do for you? Tell me how I can help". Edward pleaded. I could only shake my head through the sobs.

"Just hold me. You're the only thing I need right now". I whispered into his bare shoulder. He held me as I fell apart in his arms. I clung to him, feeling as if the tears would never stop.

"Sweetheart," Edward whispered after what seemed like hours, "we need to get you out of these wet clothes. I don't want you to get sick".

"I don't care," I muttered, only clinging closer to him. I felt like a small scared child.

"It's alright. I'll help you". He promised, keeping one arm wrapped tightly around me. He reached into a suitcase and fished out a pair of sweatpants and a white t-shirt. Edward unzipped my sweatshirt and peeled it off and then removed my t-shirt. He helped me into his dry t-shirt. I had to admit; it did feel better to be in dry clothes. Edward helped me out of my wet jeans and into sweatpants. I knew that I should be feeling strange that Edward had seen me practically naked, but I knew he was too much a gentleman to look consciously. Once I was in clean and dry clothes, Edward helped me into bed and I snuggled into his bare chest, trying to control my sobs. I felt him pick up a cell phone and dial a number.

"Sue, it's Edward," he whispered, running his free hand through my hair. "Yes, she's here. Is there anything I can do to help?" I fell into a strange half-sleep state. I wasn't sure if the conversation I was hearing was actually happening or if I was dreaming it.

"Do you need anything? Does Bella need to go back to the hospital? Okay, good. How are you? Bella's just going to stay in here with me. You're welcome to try to get a little sleep in her hotel room tonight if you'd like. Of course. Anytime. Call me if you need anything. I'm in room 1245, Bella's is 1246". Edward pulled me closer and pulled a blanket over us. I felt his lips on my forehead before I drifted off into a restless sleep.

Author Note: Review please! Please keep in mind that sometimes, as a writer the characters need to take you places, even if you hate where they are going.


	12. Home

When I woke up the next morning, I didn't want to open my eyes. My head was still resting on Edward's bare chest. For 30 seconds, I was blissful. Then, it hit me like a Mac truck. I realized what event in my life led to me lying in this position with Edward. It wasn't the first time we'd made love or had fallen asleep together talking. It was the morning after the day I lost my father. My head began to spin as I thought of the many things I had to do today. And poor Sue! I had left her at the hospital all alone! I took a deep breath and sat up slowly, allowing the sorrow to wash over me. I had to face this sooner or later. The sooner I faced it, the quicker I could begin to heal. I was mildly aware of a throbbing headache, probably from crying. I looked over to Edward, who was awake. I could tell from the expression on his face that he was waiting for me to fall apart again.

"Thank you…for last night". I whispered, my voice cracking a little, mostly from sleep.

"I told you. It's in my job description," he said, entwining his hands with mine. I suddenly noticed my change of clothes, blushing as I remembered how he helped me out of the wet ones. Edward sat up, tracing my blush with his cool fingers.

"I'm sorry, I hope you don't mind. I didn't want you to get sick. I promise I didn't look". He winked at me.

"I'm not worried about that". I assured him as he kissed my shoulder through the thin white t-shirt. "Did you, um-talk to Sue last night?" I asked him, a little embarrassed that I ran out of the hospital just to get to him.

"I did. She took care of everything last night". He explained. I shook my head.

"I shouldn't have run out of there like that last night. I don't know why I keep doing that".

"Well you ran _to me_ last night. That's an improvement," he noted. I scooted closer to him, needing to be touching him. He seemed like a safe house. So long as he was here, I was protected from the grief threatening to crush me.

"I have so much to do," I sighed.

"I cleared my schedule for the remainder of the week so I can help you".

"Edward, no! I don't want you to cancel things on my behalf," I said. Though I doubt I was convincing, I was glad he was staying.

"Bella, that's what you do when you're in a relationship. You would do the same for me". He was right. I would. I leaned forward to kiss him.

"I'm going to jump in the shower. I should run across the hall to grab my suitcase and all".

"Oh, no need. Sue brought it all over early this morning when she got in. I hope you don't mind. I gave her your room so she could get some sleep".

"Oh, wow. I really must have been out". I said, a little shocked. I felt like I barely slept a wink.

"I'm going to make a few phone calls while you're in the shower. Just a heads up in case you sing or something," Edward joked.

Edward and I got ready and cleaned the room quickly. I knew what I had to do next and I was dreading it. I needed to go back to Charlie's house to put everything in order. I couldn't leave Sue to deal with everything. I stared myself down in the mirror, wondering if what I had chosen to wear was appropriate. When I packed to go to London, I had been planning on romantic dates and adventures, not cleaning out a house and a funeral. Suddenly, something dawned on me. The power of it nearly knocked me to my knees. I had nothing to wear to the funeral. I had to plan and coordinate a funeral. I had to call people. My hand flew to my heart, trying to calm it. Edward was by my side in a second.

"Sweetheart? Are you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost". I nearly laughed. I almost had. I shook my head, leaning into his embrace.

"Things just hit me. I'll be okay. I just have a lot to do". I said, my fingers rubbing my forehead.

"I rented a car. They dropped it off early this morning. Let me get all our baggage in the car and we can get going". He said softly, kissing my cheek sweetly.

"I'll go talk to Sue while you do that," I said, attempting a smile as I leaned forward to kiss his lips.

"I'll meet you downstairs," he said as he picked up our bags and loaded them onto a baggage cart that had been stored in a closet. I gave the hotel room one more once over before I shut the door quietly behind me and went across the hall, knocking softly on Sue's door. She answered almost immediately, her eyes red rimmed. She smiled softly, enveloping me in a tight embrace. I swallowed a big lump in my throat. This was the kind of thing I couldn't handle right now, not from anyone other than Edward.

"I think Edward and I are going to get going. I want to get to Forks before it gets dark. Thank you for handling everything at the hospital last night. I'm sorry for running out of there, it was just more than I could deal with".

"I understand completely. I would have insisted anyway. I finished everything with the hospital. They're going to make sure to get him…his…" she stammered, trying to find the best way to tell me what they were going to do with my dad's body. "Body," she finally finished. I only nodded.

"I really appreciate it. Please feel free to stop over when you get back".

"I will. I'll come over to help you guys".

"Sue, listen. You don't need to move out. I'm going to box up all my stuff and then the house is yours". My dad and Sue had moved in together just a few months ago.

"Let's talk about logistics later". She said with a sad smile. I only nodded.

"Okay, well I'm going to head out. Edward is waiting for me downstairs. Thank you again. I'll see you later tonight". I hugged her goodbye. I rode the elevator downstairs. Edward was waiting for me out front, as promised. The sun was peaking out of dark clouds, threatening rain later. I took a deep breath and walked outside and into the rental car. I set my purse at my feet and buckled the seatbelt as Edward started the car. I told him quickly how to get to the expressway that would take us to Forks. As he pulled onto the road, I stared at my cell phone. 21 missed calls and 16 text messages. I took a deep breath and read through my texts. They were from a handful of friends that had found out my sad news. Jessica and Jacob made up the majority of the text messages. I pulled up the messages from Jessica and typed a quick reply.

_Hey Jess. Thanks so much for the text messages. Edward is driving me to Charlie's to get all these arrangements set. Would love to see you. Love, B_

_Confession time. I'm already at Charlie's with Jake and Angela. We were trying to get things in order before you got here. Take your time with Edward. He's good for you. And he loves you. And he's a prince. And handsome. Love you. Jess_

I laughed through my tears. I had great friends. Edward looked over and placed a hand on my knee.

"I have good friends," I sighed, placing my head against the headrest. "They're at Charlie's going through everything so I don't have so much to do," I explained.

Edward smiled. "Those are grand friends," he said. I could tell he loved my friends already, because of their kindness. Suddenly, I remembered something. I pulled up a text message to Jessica.

_Can you spare an hour or two to take me shopping? I need to get dresses for the wake and the funeral. I came straight from London and have a very limited wardrobe. Also. Shoes_

_Yeah, of course. Would you rather Ang and I just go and get it for you?_

I thought for a moment. That would actually be better. I didn't have the time or patience for shopping for two dresses.

_Actually, if you don't mind that'd be great. This should be awkward…but it's you so it's not. But can you grab me a black bra too? The ones I brought aren't quite appropriate for a funeral. _

_Got you covered. We'll go now and be back by the time you get here. Drive safe please. We love you. _

_Love you too. Thanks again. Seriously, I don't know what I'd do without you. And if you could leave Jake somewhere while you bra shop that'd be great._

_Don't worry. He'd never go shopping with us. He knows better than that. _

I put my phone away with a small sigh of relief. One down, seven thousand to go.

"This is not the way I wanted to bring you home," I said, holding his free hand in mine.

"Life doesn't always work out the way we plan," Edward said softly. I realized suddenly that Edward knew exactly what I was going through. He'd already buried a parent. When he was much younger than I was now. I was incredibly thankful to have him in my life and have him by my side now.

The closer the car inched toward Forks, the more I felt like I was marching to my own death. But, despite my giving Edward directions to the long way to Charlie's we arrived quicker than I was ready for. Sure enough, there were already cars in the driveway. As I stared up at the big white house, memories washed over me again. I took a deep breath, not wanting to cry until I was alone. I didn't want to put my friends in the position that they felt worse than they already did. I didn't want anyone's pity. I stepped out of the car, staring up at the big white house that seemed to feel different, even from outside. Edward walked around to take my hand.

"We'll get through this. Together," he promised. I only nodded, slinging my purse over my shoulder. I took a deep breath and walked toward the front porch. My toe barely stepped onto the concrete when Jessica ran out of the house to greet me. She hugged me so tightly I found it difficult to breathe.

"Bella, I'm so sorry," she whispered. I leaned back a little.

"Okay, time for some ground rules. Please stop that. It's only going to make me cry. Knock yourselves out at the wake and funeral, but until then, please?" I pleaded. She nodded in understanding. She saluted me with her right hand.

"Yes, ma'am. I'll pass on the word". She agreed with a smile. She moved on to Edward.

"Edward, it's good to see you again," she greeted, hugging him as well.

"You as well, Jessica. Thank you for being so good to Bella". She only nodded and led us inside. I held on tightly to Edward's arm as we walked through the front doors. Just from walking into the foyer, I was thankful for my friends. Jessica, Angela and Jake had not only cleaned the house, but had already begun packing boxes. They had color-coordinated boxes to correspond to my things or things that needed to go in storage.

"Wow, you guys have really made a lot of progress," I told Jessica, looking around the canary yellow kitchen. She only smiled sadly.

"Ang, Jake! Bella's here!" Jessica called, taking a sip of water. I heard Jake and Angela bound down the stairs. Before Angela could tackle me to the ground in a hug, Jessica jumped in front of them.

"Guys, I know you are excited to see Bella. But she has set a few rules. There will be no speaking of "I'm sorry's" and "we're here for yous" until the wake and funeral. So stay in line," she threatened, wagging her finger between Jacob and Angela. Angela only rolled her eyes, sidestepping Jessica. She hugged me quickly.

"It's good to see you Bella". She said carefully.

"It's good to see you too, Angela!" I moved to hug Jacob, who was standing awkwardly to the side. "Angela, Jacob, this is my boyfriend, Edward," I said, placing a hand on Edward's shoulder. They shook his hand nicely enough and Jessica led me into the living room, where they had stacked the better part of the boxes against an empty wall.

"I have called the movers, they're coming in 3 days to pick up all your stuff. They'll move it to a storage unit until you decide what you'd like to do with it. Now for the difficult question; what would you like to do with Charlie's things?" she asked softly, a hand on my shoulder. I looked around the room for a moment. It looked so different since the last time I'd been here.

"I think we should wait for Sue for that. I don't want to make all the decisions without her," I said, a single tear rolling down my cheek. Jessica nodded.

"Well, Angela and I went shopping, I put everything in your room. I didn't touch Charlie's room. I just shut the door so you wouldn't have to see it until you were ready. But, if you don't want to see it, just say the word and I'll deal with it". Jessica said, talking quickly. Jessica was such a great friend to me. I was lucky to have her.

"Thank you," I managed, hugging her again.

"Now, I think it's best if we sit down and 'triage' things, figure out the most important things to do first. Then we can divide and conquer". She suggested. I nodded. I sat down at the kitchen table next to Edward. Jessica and Angela sat across from us, Jacob at the head of the table. We talked through a game plan and all went separate ways. Jake and Angela went to run a few errands and Jessica stayed to help me pack. Jess and Sue had already made all the necessary phone calls. Sue had made arrangements Charlie at a nearby funeral home. Well, the only funeral home in town. The wake would be Saturday, two days away and the funeral on Sunday. Jessica gave me another stack of boxes and walked me up to my room, Edward behind us. My room was exactly as I had left it. I laughed a little. It was a little like a Bella Swan shrine. My purple bedspread was still on the bed from high school. I was a little overwhelmed as I looked around. I couldn't believe the amount of crap you can accumulate over a lifetime. Furthermore, I can't believe I had left this much behind.

"Well, I'm going to leave you two alone for the night. Are you okay here?" Jessica asked, a little concerned.

"Yeah, we'll be fine," I assured her. She hugged me once more and left. I took a deep breath and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Thank you for being here," I told Edward, grasping his hands in mine. He sat across from me in my black desk chair.

"Always," he said simply with a smile.

"I don't even know where to start," I told him honestly, tears rolling down my cheeks.

"Let's start by getting you a cup of tea. And then you lay here and watch a movie and I will pack up for you". Edward said, insistent. The tone in his voice warned me that there was no use in arguing. I only nodded, wiping away the tears with the back of my hand.

"I'll go get you some tea. Sit tight. Don't pack anything". He warned with a wink. I sat back on the bed and picked up the bags Jessica had waiting for me. There was a black lace bra inside a Victoria's Secret bag and a larger garment bag draped across my rocking chair. I untied the knot at the bottom to reveal a beautiful black dress. There was also a pair of black pants, black vest and white dress shirt in an Ann Taylor bag for the wake. There was another shopping bag with two pairs of shoes in it. Edward returned with a cup of tea. It smelled heavenly. I wrapped my hands around the warm mug. Edward took off his jacket and began to assemble boxes. I stared at my stack of DVD's in the corner, but I wasn't really in the mood for a movie. I just stared down at my tea for a few moments as Edward began to pack clothes into boxes from my closet. I took a long sip of tea, not caring that it burned my tongue. I sank a little deeper into bed and curled up with a pillow. I took one more sip of tea and hugged my pillow, breathing in Charlie's scent. I let the tears come as I slipped into a deep sleep.

When I woke up, it was dark out. I reached for my cell phone, but couldn't find it. I saw Edward's charging on the end table and checked the time. Past three o'clock in the morning. I looked beside me; Edward was fast asleep in a white t-shirt and red flannel pajama pants. I looked around and saw that he had packed up the entire closet and the better part of the room. I unbuttoned my jeans and wriggled out of them, tossing them to the floor. I slipped underneath the sheets and fell back asleep. I didn't wake until late morning.

**Author Note: Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed it! I will try to update at least once a week. :) Next chapter is almost done. Please review and let me know how you're liking it! **


	13. A Beginning

Before I knew it, before I was ready for it, it was the morning of my father's wake. I had fallen asleep on the couch after staying up until the middle of the night watching home movies. I heard a car pull into the driveway. I moaned, throwing an arm over my eyes. Not only was I not ready to face the day yet; I wasn't ready to see anyone either. I was relieved to see that it was just Jessica. She found the spare key under the mat and let herself in.

"Bella?" she whispered loudly, poking her head around the corner.

"Good morning," I whispered back, sitting up a little on the couch. She came to sit next to me, pulling the blanket over her lap.

"Did you get any sleep?" she asked, looking around. It was obvious that she was wondering where Edward was.

"He's upstairs. And no, not really".

"Are you two fighting?" she asked, sounding confused.

"No. Why do you ask?"

"Because he's sleeping in your room and you're down here". I rolled my eyes.

"Jess. I just fell asleep down here. He was exhausted, so I stayed down here to let him get some sleep". I shrugged.

"Stop pushing him away," she said through her teeth.

"I'm not," I said adamantly, mimicking her tone of voice.

"Let's just drop it. We can talk about it another day. Today is about Charlie. Now, what do you need from me today? I know today is going to impossibly long for you. I just want to help". Jessica said softly. I only nodded.

"Thanks, Jess. I can't really think of anything you're not already doing. You guys have been incredible. I'm so lucky to have such great friends".

"I have an idea". She said suddenly, though she didn't look like she was excited about it. "Go throw on a pair of jeans and come with me". She said, pulling the blankets off of me.

"Should I wake Edward?"

"If you want to", she shrugged, leaving the decision up to me. Reluctantly, I pulled myself off the couch and tiptoed up the stairs. I opened my bedroom door as quietly as I could, but despite my efforts, the squeaky door woke Edward.

"Good morning," he greeted, stretching his arms above his head.

"Jess wants me to go with her somewhere. Do you want to come?" I asked as I rifled through my suitcase, looking for a pair of jeans.

"Sure. Let me just brush my teeth and change".

"You can take the bathroom, I'll change in here," I told him. He nodded, shutting the bedroom door behind him as he went into the bathroom to get ready. I pulled on my jeans and a long sleeved blue t-shirt. I pulled my long hair into a ponytail and quickly applied a small amount of makeup. I grabbed my purse and went to sit with Jess downstairs while Edward got ready.

"Edward wants to come too, I hope that's okay," I told her, sitting back down on the couch.

"Good, I think that's a good idea," she said quietly, as if she were still trying to talk herself into something.

"What are you up to?" I asked, my eyes narrowing. She only shook her head.

"You'll know when we get there," she promised stubbornly.

Just ten minutes later, we were piled in Jessica's car, driving towards town. The ride was mostly quiet, but it was a comfortable silence. I stared out the window into the rain as Jessica sped down the road. The moment she pulled into the parking lot, I felt anger rising. We were at the Funeral Home where my dad's wake and funeral would take place.

"Jessica, what are we doing here?"

"Please, just trust me. If you don't want to do it, I will take you back home. But please just come inside with me and hear me out". She pleaded, stepping out of the car. I sighed. I wasn't going to like it. I could feel it. Jessica led me inside the funeral home, with Edward behind me. As I entered the foyer, I nearly vomited. I would forever loathe the smell of fresh flowers. Jessica held both my hands.

"Bella, I wanted to bring you here alone so that you could get this part over with. I've never had to bury a parent, but I know that this would be the most difficult part. Charlie is in room number three, just at the end of the hallway, to the right. Edward and I will wait right here. Just yell if you need us. But I just want you to have a few minutes, or hours if that's what you need, alone with him". She told me with tears in her eyes. I only nodded and turned to walk slowly toward my dad's room.

**Edward's POV**

I watched Bella disappear into the room and looked at Jessica skeptically.

"I hope you know what you're doing", I whispered. Jessica just shrugged and sank down onto a bench. "I wish I could protect her from everything she's about to go through," I said, sitting beside Jessica.

"As horrible as this whole situation is, I'm glad she has you". Jessica whispered.

"I'm glad she has you, too. You're a good friend. Especially to be doing this for her," I said.

"I can only imagine. If I had lost one of my parents, this would be the part I would dread the most…seeing them again. I wouldn't want to do it alone, but I wouldn't want to do it with a bunch of other people, either". She explained. I nodded.

"May I ask you something?" she asked, a little hesitant.

"Anything," I responded.

"Before I ask, I just want to say that I don't ask to pry. I ask because she is my best friend. I just don't know what's she's going through. It makes me feel like a bad friend". She explained. I sat quietly, waiting for the question. "Tell me about what helped you. When your mother died. If you don't mind".

"I don't mind. I think my family helped me the most. Actually, the public helped a lot too. It helped me to know the many people that were touched by my mother". I explained. She only nodded, suddenly interested in her nail polish.

"I just feel completely helpless. This isn't supposed to happen so soon. We shouldn't have to start losing parents until we are much older", Jessica said quietly.

"You're a good friend, Jess," I reassured. "But I'm going to tell you something you aren't going to like. In situations like this, the easiest way for Bella to get through this is just to get through it. She's never going to be or feel the same". I told her. She only nodded.

"I know, I know all that," she said angrily, though the anger was not directed at me. "I know it in my head but I wish someone could explain it to my heart. It's torture to watch someone like Bella go through this". She wiped tears from her eyes.

"She has good friends," I assured her with a smile.

"You'll take good care of her when she moves to London, right?" Jessica asked. I smiled and nodded. I liked the sound of that. If Jessica knew, that meant Bella had been talking to her friends about the move. It wasn't just hypothetical.

"Of course I will. You're welcome anytime, by the way". It would be my goal to be sure Bella continued to be surrounded by friends as good as Jessica, Angela and Jake.

"I will definitely take you up on that!" she laughed. "You and Bella are really good together. You seem to have a lot in common. But, I'm not going to lie to you. As her friend, I feel the need to point out that you still have a lot to get to know about one another. So please, take things slow?" she asked.

"Of course we will. The decision to leave America is hers. We will take things slow. I promise. But, I will say that despite the fact we haven't been together long, I am learning a lot about her. We are still learning our differences and commonalities, but I'm enjoying this phase of the relationship".

"What I'm about to say is strictly based on the fact that she is my best friend. I don't have a sister, so she's the closest thing I've got". She took a deep breath before continuing. "You were brought up in very different worlds. As humble and down to earth as you are, you are royalty. Bella had a good childhood, but grew up with divorced parents. Her dad was a police office and her mom is a little bit of a wanderer. Bella has been stuck between them for as long as I can remember. As much as every little girl dreams of being a princess, I know that the reality of it is very different. Bella may seem strong, but she's fragile. You need to think about what your relationship could potentially do to her. Once you announce your relationship to the world, you will both be placed under a microscope. I just want you both to be sure before you take any drastic measures. You each need to realize that you are in this life together. I think that at this moment, your greatest common factor is that you both lost a parent suddenly and tragically".

She was right. The greatest common factor that both my mom and her dad had been murdered. And the murderer was yet to be brought to justice.

**Bella's POV**

When I emerged from the room, about twenty minutes later, Edward and Jessica seemed to be having an intense conversation. Not an angry one, just an important one. They both stood when they saw me walking toward them.

"I'm fine. But thank you. It was good to get it over with alone". Edward took my hand and led me back out to the car.

The wake, which lasted from 3-9pm, went by quickly but was emotionally exhausting. I was of course glad to be in the presence of friends and family. My mom and step-dad Phil had even flown out. It was good to have the support of my mom. She stared at Edward with skeptical eyes for the better part of the evening. I knew she was burning with questions but knew this was neither the time nor the place to address them. Phil stayed in the hallway after coming in to pay his respects and say hello to me but my mom never left my side. When everyone had left, I was able to convince myself I needed sleep for tomorrow. I kissed my hand and placed it on the lid of the dark casket, allowing a single tear to roll down my face. Renee kissed me goodbye, promising she'd see me at the funeral. Edward held my hand tightly, quietly leading me back to the car. He opened the door for me and I slid into the leather seat. We drove the few miles back to the house quietly. I silently wished that I had gotten a hotel room, even if I had to drive 30 miles to get to one. I didn't want to continue staying at Charlie's house.

"Are you hungry or anything?" Edward asked pulling into the driveway. I shook my head. I didn't have much of an appetite.

"You haven't eaten all day". He said quietly, concerned but not wanting to push.

"I know, I'm just not hungry," I shrugged, getting out of the car. Truthfully, all I wanted to do was take a shower and go to bed. I dropped my purse by the front door and went straight upstairs to shower and scrub the funeral home smell off my body. I grabbed a pair of PJ pants and a t-shirt from my suitcase and turned on the shower, turning the dial to the hottest water I could stand. I stood under the hot spray, letting the water burn me. My tears mixed into the spray from the showerhead. I tried to breathe through my mouth, waiting for the smell to wash away. I lathered my hair with shampoo, using much more than I usually did. I scrubbed my body until it hurt. Finally, about 45 minutes later I finally felt clean enough. I turned off the water and stepped out of the tub. I dressed quickly and brushed my teeth. When I emerged from the bathroom, I saw the door to Charlie's room was open. A whole in my chest ripped open as I smelled his cologne. I turned to see Edward sitting on my bed, typing on his computer. The moment he looked up and saw my face he closed the computer, setting it on the end table.

"I know, I'm sorry. Sue is going to sleep here tonight. She just dropped her stuff off and ran to the store to get a few things". He explained. I only nodded. I shut my bedroom door behind me, trying to block out the sight and smells that were coming from that particular room. I knew I had to face it eventually, just not today. I climbed into bed and turned out the light beside me.

"Bella, what can I do for you?" Edward asked in a tortured voice.

"Nothing. I just need to get through tomorrow". Once tomorrow was over, I could begin to heal. Or try to. I would spend a few more days in Forks and then get back to New York. Suddenly, a question that had been burning in the back of my mind for days needed to come out. I hadn't asked because I hadn't been sure I wanted the answer. But today, I needed to rip off the band aid and get everything on the table.

"Edward, if I ask you a question, would you give me an honest answer?"

"Always".

"When do you need to go back to London?" I asked. I braced myself for the answer. I could tell Edward was caught off guard by my question.

"I need to be back no later than the end of next week". Just five days away. I wouldn't be able to pull off a trip that quickly and I knew it. I nodded my head, trying to seem unfazed by the news.

"Bella, we can talk about this another night," he said gently.

"No, we need to talk about it tonight. My life cannot stop just because my father died. I need to have a plan in place to get things in order. I promise that I am not going to shatter into a thousand pieces".

"You're right". He agreed.

"Despite what Jessica told you," I teased. He looked shocked. "I don't know what she told you exactly, but I am sure that she said something to the effect of me being too fragile. It's not true. Well, not 100% true. Despite the current events in my life, I do understand that you have a job you need to get back to. I am incredibly thankful that you took time off to be with me. But I am not made of glass. I consider myself a fairly rational person and understand that you cannot stay here forever. The hardest part will be over tomorrow". I said, a little shocked at the way I was truly feeling. Edward nodded.

"I'm sorry, you're right. So let's talk about what your plans are. Tell me what you would like to do".

"I plan to stay here through the end of the week. I have a few more legal things to wrap up before I can leave. Then I plan to fly back to New York to wrap up a few things at work and pack up my apartment. I've already looked around for an apartment and found one in Chelsea. My boss had a few connections at a few of the magazines in London and I have some meetings set up. I think London will be good for me. I'm excited about the change". I told him honestly. I was being honest; I was very excited to embark on this new adventure with him.

"Wow, it sounds like you have really figured everything out". Edward laughed.

"Well, it's what I want. I've had a lot of time to think about it and am excited to move".

"I'm glad. I'm over the moon that you want to move". He said, taking my hands in his. He leaned forward to kiss my forehead.

"Of course I do. I want to really give this relationship a fair chance. I'm all in Edward".

"Me too," he said with a crooked smile. I leaned into his chest. It was a smile I hadn't seen since London.

The past few days have been a blur. The funeral for Charlie was beautiful. It was a perfect way to say goodbye. It was a precious moment; one that I will cherish forever. Renee and Phil had taken Edward and I out for dinner the night after the funeral to get to know Edward better. As much as I loved being near my mom, all it did was reaffirm that she and I don't have a good relationship. She was focused on her relationship with Phil and that was okay. At least for now. She had been shocked to hear of my decision to move to London but she didn't try to talk me out of it. Sue and I sat down with the lawyers the day after the funeral. Charlie had left everything to me, including the house. But it didn't feel right for me to have the house…the home that Sue and Charlie had made together over the last few years. Sue and I decided on an arrangement. I signed over the house to her and at her insistence, she would pay me what she could afford per month. The only thing I had left to do was to go through Charlie's things with Sue. We decided that we would put his things in storage for now. We couldn't quite bear to part with his things. Not just yet.

Edward and I were both flying back to our respective places on Thursday evening, me to New York and Edward to London. We would fly together to New York and then Edward would pick up a connecting flight to London. Once I was settled in an apartment, Sue would ship out my things to my new apartment.

Today, Edward and I were going to have dinner in Port Angeles for a date night. I'd been so wrapped up in hospitals, funeral plans and arrangements the last few weeks that we needed some alone time. I was just finishing putting on my make up when someone knocked at the bathroom door.

"Come in!" I called as I applied my mascara. Sue poked her head in.

"You have a delivery downstairs," she said with a twinkle in her eye.

"What? The funeral was days ago". I set down my tube of mascara on the marble countertop and followed her down the stairs, clinging to the railing as my high heels clicked on the hardwood floor. On the table sat the most beautiful vase of flowers I'd ever seen. They nearly took my breath away.

"What's going on?" Edward asked, tying his tie.

"These arrived for Bella!" Sue gushed, handing me a card from the center of the bouquet.

"Do you have some other boyfriend I don't know about?" Edward joked, adjusting the knot on his tie.

"I guess the secret is out," I laughed as I slid my finger beneath the envelope fold and tore it open. An eggshell white thick card was inside with a seal at the top. I recognized it from the palace.

_Ms. Swan,_

_We were so sorry to hear about the great loss of your father. Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family at this most difficult of times. _

_With deepest sympathies,_

_Queen Caroline and Prince Andrew_

"Aw, it's from your grandmother and father", I said, handing Edward the card. "This really is the most beautiful bouquet of flowers I've ever seen," I exclaimed, smelling the flowers. Edward kissed my temple.

"I spoke with them earlier. They can't wait to meet you".

"I can't wait to meet them. Not going to lie, a little nervous, but mostly excited," I joked. Both Sue and Edward laughed.

"You look beautiful Bella. It's so good to see you laugh again," Sue said sincerely, wrapping an arm around me. I hugged her back.

"You two should get going. I don't want you to miss your reservation". Sue reminded us. I nodded and slipped off my heels to run upstairs to check my makeup one more time and grab my purse and coat. Downstairs, Edward helped me slip into my trench coat. I tied the belt around my waist.

"Have her home by 10:30!" Sue laughed.

"Are you sure you don't want to come with us?" I asked. She nodded.

"Yes, I'm sure. Enjoy your date. But, I wouldn't turn down a little tiramisu?" she said with a smile.

"We'll bring you back some," Edward promised, his hand on the small of my back. Edward led me out to the car. I told him directions as he pulled out of the driveway. He rested his left hand on my knee.

"How are you doing? You seem to be in better spirits," he smiled over at me as we drove through the dark forest toward the expressway.

"I am better. I know it's strange, but I have an overwhelming sense that things will be okay. I will miss my dad for the rest of my life, but I know that he is always with me now. I'm at peace with it," I told him, playing with my necklace.

"I'm glad to hear it," he said with a smile, pulling onto the expressway. Port Angeles was over an hour away, but it was worth it. There was a small Italian restaurant right on the water. I had always wanted to take a date there. It was also quiet enough that I knew we would be left alone. Our budding relationship was starting to get the attention of the media, especially as Edward cancelled appearances since he was still in the States. I also knew it was only going to get worse when I moved to London. I didn't even want to think of the paparazzi that were inevitably staking out my apartment.

"If you speak to your father or grandmother, please thank them for the flowers for me. I'll be sure to tell them myself when I get to London in a few weeks," I added. I really liked the sound of that.

"I absolutely will. In fact, if you like, we could call them later and you can tell them yourself".

"Absolutely". I agreed, feeling a little nervous about it. It was nerve-wracking enough to get to know a boyfriend's family, let alone when they were the royal family. This was going to take a lot of getting used to.

"Are you getting excited to move?" Edward asked.

"Yes and no. I'm excited to be closer to you and for the change, but I'm not one hundred percent sure that I am ready for the media aspect of our relationship", I admitted. He nodded.

"I know, I'm sorry. It's the one aspect that I have zero control over. I will say that it's really only bad in London. We typically get left alone elsewhere. But anytime new relationships begin, the media reports on it, since it's new. But it will die off a little. When Rosalie and Emmett began dating the paparazzi was everywhere", he explained, though he didn't need to explain much, I remembered they were on every tabloid cover for about 6 months. I could only hope that the media reports weren't as mean in London.

"We'll figure it out," I promised, though I hoped it was a promise I could keep.

Edward and I were left in peace to have dinner. There were a few stares when we walked into the restaurant, but the other diners and staff treated him normally. We laughed and talked about London, his favorite and least favorite places and the many places we would go together once I moved. He also began to talk about the many events that he would go to now that the holidays were upon us. Though he didn't come out and say it, I was under the impression that I would be expected to attend most of them as well.

"I'm really excited for you to get to meet all my family and friends this time," Edward said, his eyes full of excitement.

"I'm excited to meet them too! I'm really excited to get to know Rosalie and Emmett better, too".

"Alice is quite excited to take you shopping," he said with a laugh. I'd heard Alice mentioned a few other times in passing conversation. I shot him a quizzical look, unable to place her in my mind.

"She's a friend. She's the stylist for Palace Events. She dresses my family so we don't have to go out and shop". He explained. I remembered now. I paused. I missed something he said earlier.

"Wait. Take me shopping?" I braced myself. I enjoyed shopping; just not being dressed up in clothes I was uncomfortable in.

"We have a few events at the Palace that I am obligated to go to and would be honored if you would be my date," he informed me with such a gorgeous smile that I almost forgot that he volunteered me to not only be forced to shop but also go to highly publicized events at Buckingham Palace.

"I would be delighted". I leaned in to kiss him.

"I'm also excited for you to meet Carlisle and Esme. They're my godparents. They are like second parents to me". He said, excitement evident in his eyes. My own excitement grew as I saw Edward's enthusiasm for me to get a better taste of his life. I was about to tell him as much when I was interrupted by his cell phone ringing.

"I'm so sorry, I forgot to turn it off".

"It's fine, you can answer if you want", I took another sip of my wine. He grinned at the caller ID.

"I think I will". He answered the call almost immediately. His eyes lit up as he heard the voice on the other end. Had I not known him better I would have thought he had another girlfriend.

"I miss you!" he greeted. They exchanged small talk for a moment as I picked at the rest of my dinner and finished off my wine. Edward handed me the phone after a few minutes with a grin.

"My grandmother wants to talk to you," he handed me the phone. It was a good thing I'd had some wine.

"Hello?" I greeted.

"Hello, dear. I just wanted to say hello and tell you that we were so sorry to hear of your father's passing".

"Thank you. I received the flowers this evening. Thank you so much, that was incredibly thoughtful of you".

"It was our pleasure. We look forward to getting to know you a little better! I should let you and Edward get back to your date. Call us if you need anything!"

"Thank you, I will. Have a good day!" I told her as I handed Edward the phone back. He said goodbye and put the phone back in his jacket pocket.

Before I knew it, it was time for Edward and I to leave. I said my goodbyes to Sue and got into the town car with Edward. Sue had promised to fly out to London soon to see us. Edward held my hand as the tears slipped down my cheeks. The town car pulled out of the driveway and sped through the rain to the airport. I made it a point not to look back at the big white house. Because if I did, it would feel too much like I was saying goodbye to my dad forever.


	14. Arrivals

Today was finally the day; the day that I moved to London. The movers were here, packing up a Pod with all my furniture and boxes. I stood in my now empty bedroom and reflected on the past year of my life. More specifically, the last six months of my life. It's amazing how meeting the love of your life can change your life so drastically in such a short period of time. I did a once over of the apartment, making sure it was clean and that nothing was left behind in a cabinet or drawer. I took a deep breath and carried my baggage to the front door, out of the mover's way. My town car would be here any minute. I checked my carry-on bag and purse to make sure I had my passport, boarding pass and my ID. I slipped on my silver ballet flats and brought my luggage to the curb, where my car had pulled up. The driver carefully set my luggage in the truck as I slid into the back seat, breathing in the new leather smell. I took my cell phone out of my purse pocket and sent a text message to Edward, even though I knew it was late in London.

_On my way to the airport! Can't wait to see you tomorrow! _

_-Bella_

I set my cell phone back in my purse, leaning against the seat. I took another deep breath. I thought I would be a nervous wreck but I had never been so calm. Elated even. I could barely wait to see my new apartment in Chelsea. Edward went to get my keys and check it out yesterday afternoon. He'd had a meeting in the area with his dad and brother. My phone rang; I checked it to see a text from Edward.

_Can't wait to see you! Safe travels! Call me when you land. _

Before I could text him back, the driver pulled to the curbside check in of United Airlines. I was able to check in for my flight and check my baggage within a matter of minutes. Airport security escorted me to my gate; there was a large mob of people taking pictures of me as I walked through the airport. I couldn't quite understand why I was so interesting, especially on my own. I understood it when I was with Edward, but not when I was by myself. In Forks and in Seattle, I had felt as if I was in a bubble. I had a feeling I was in for a rude awakening.

I slept for the better part of the plane ride, trying to stay ahead of the jet lag. Now that I was an official resident of London I didn't want to waste a moment. I had gotten a few job offers for work, probably courtesy of Edward, but with the money my dad left me I could afford to explore my options a bit. I was no longer in a rush to find a job. The mortgage payment that Sue paid me monthly would pretty much take care of my rent.

When I arrived in London, I was refreshed from a long nap on the plane. I couldn't walk fast enough to get to Edward. As I stepped off the plane, my feet couldn't carry me fast enough to the arrivals gate, where I knew Edward was waiting. I saw him immediately, standing near the back, looking as handsome as ever. I ran straight into his arms. He held me tighter than he'd ever held me before.

"I can't believe you're finally here!" he breathed into my hair. I knew he wasn't just talking about London.

Edward drove me to my new apartment. He would help me get settled in and then we had plans for lunch with Emmett and Rosalie. Originally, his father and grandfather, as in Prince and Queen, wanted to join, but Edward wanted to give me some time before we jumped into that meeting, which I appreciated. We pulled up in front of a beautiful, historic, red brick building surrounded by a black wrought iron fence. It was charming, exactly the sort of apartment I've always dreamed of. I had the corner apartment on the first floor. Edward carried my bags, leading the way. I'd forgotten for a moment he'd already been here. Edward turned the key in the lock and opened the door for me. The apartment was beautiful. There were hardwood floors throughout and a set of French doors in the bedroom that led outside to a small patio.

"I know it's really empty now, but we can go furniture shopping if you want," Edward said, looking around.

"It's so beautiful. I can't believe I live here", I gasped. Edward wrapped an arm around me and kissed my temple.

"You can stay in the Palace if you want until are your stuff gets here," he offered, looking around at the white walls.

"I do need to go shopping", I told him as it dawned on me that I hadn't packed any bathroom or kitchen things. I just wanted to start over in this apartment. I'd put all my furniture in storage in New York until I decided what I was going to do.

"Well I can take you," he offered sweetly. I laughed. His voice offered it sweetly; his face cringed, hoping I'd say no.

"Not to worry. I'll go later. By myself", I laughed. I'd go tonight after Edward headed back home. I don't know why I hadn't thought this through more. All I wanted to do was nap and shower before our lunch date and I didn't have a bed, towels, a shower curtain, or soap and shampoo.

"Something wrong?" Edward asked.

"No, not really. I just wish I would have thought this through better", I laughed, putting my arms around his waist. "I had grand plans of a 10 minute cat nap and a shower before lunch but it doesn't look like that will happen," I said. He kissed me softly.

"If you want, I can take you over to my Kensington Apartment. You can even stay there tonight if you want. I can go over to my grandmas". I snorted. Ha. Grandma's. He was referring to Buckingham Palace. That was going to take some getting used to.

"I think I will take you up on that. Let me just pack up the things I need". I emptied my large carry-on on the floor. I unzipped my large suitcase and found the dress I was going to wear for lunch, pajamas, jeans and a t-shirt and an outfit for tomorrow. Edward led me back out of the apartment and to the car. Kensington Palace was only about 15 minutes away from my apartment, another perk of my beautiful apartment. I'd be close to Edward.

Edward's "apartment" was not an apartment. It was a large house on one floor. There were three bedrooms, a living room, spacious kitchen, dining room, office and laundry room. The majority of the apartment was decorated in black and gold.

"The guest room, the second door on the right has a bathroom attached. Make yourself at home. I'll just be in my office. I have some work to catch up on".

I carried my things through the hallway and into the guest room. I hadn't seen the other rooms, but I was sure this one was my favorite. There was a large four-poster bed in the center of the room. The bedspread was navy blue and white. There was a large dresser in one corner and in the other corner were two black leather chairs, a fireplace and a flat screen TV mounted above the mantel. I dropped my suitcase near the dresser and slipped my shoes off before climbing into the large bed. It was the most comfortable bed I'd ever slept in. I was asleep before my head hit the pillow. About fifteen minutes later I woke up. How I woke up on my own, I'll never know. I checked the clock on my cell phone and groaned. Edward and I needed to leave in an hour for lunch. I reluctantly peeled myself out of bed and into the bathroom to shower. Somehow, I had showered, done makeup and hair in forty-five minutes. I put on my blue wrap dress and black wedges. I transferred my ID, credit cards, cash and cell phone into a black clutch. I emerged from the guest bedroom and went looking for Edward. He was in his office, talking on a cell phone and typing quickly on a laptop. I stood in the doorway of his office for a moment, watching him in awe. He saw me quickly, looked up and smiled.

"Listen, I'll have to call you back tomorrow. Have a good evening," he said to whomever he'd been speaking to as he hung up the phone. "How did you sleep?" he asked, getting up from his desk to kiss me.

"I slept well, thank you".

"You look beautiful. Are you ready to go?" he asked, putting his wallet and cell phone in his inside jacket pocket. I nodded and held his hand as led me back outside and to the car.

Emmett and Rose were already at a table when Edward and I arrived, they both stood excitedly to greet us.

"Welcome to London," Rose said, hugging me close.

"Thank you!" I responded as Emmett kissed my cheek. Edward unbuttoned his suit jacket and sat down beside me. Emmett waived the waiter over and ordered a bottle of champagne. I laughed and raised an eyebrow.

"It's a little early to drink isn't it?"

"Ha. It's never to early to celebrate!" Emmett laughed loudly.

"I should have moved to London long ago, then!"

"Well, you're here now, that's all that matters," Edward said with a smile, holding my hand in his. The waiter came back fairly quickly with a bottle of champagne and four glasses. He poured a little in each of our glasses. Emmett raised his glass.

"To Bella and new beginnings. Welcome to London", he said with a grin. We all clinked our glasses together and took small sips. It was the best champagne I'd ever had. Probably since it was legitimate champagne.

"So Bella, what is the news on the job front?" Rosalie asked.

"I have a job offer for a London newspaper, but I'm not sure that I should take it. I'm going to get settled in for a little bit and weigh my options".

"The reason I ask is that there is going to be a job with PR opening at the palace. It's for a press correspondent. We're looking for someone that can give interviews on behalf of the royal family and give tours of the Palaces for camera crews, since actual members of the royal family, like Edward and Emmett, are asked not to," she explained. "Would that be something you would be interested in?" I thought for a moment before answering.

"I would actually. That sounds great!"

"Lovely. I'll speak to the proper people about it and get back to you," she promised with a smile. Both Edward and Emmett looked pleased.

"Well, I'll drink to that," Emmett said loudly, draining the rest of his glass before pouring another.

"What are you two up to the rest of the afternoon?" Rosalie asked. Edward deferred the question to me.

"I can't speak for Edward, but I'm going to go shopping for the apartment," I told her. She raised an eyebrow.

"Don't even think about it, Rose," Edward said immediately.

"Oh Edward, come on!" She argued.

"What?" I asked, a little confused. Emmett was just chuckling to himself, watching Rosalie and Edward stare one another down.

"Oh come on. Let Alice and I take her! You and Emmett can get some work done". She suggested.

"Edward," I began to interject, wanting to side with Rose. I would like to get to know Rose better. And I knew that Edward must have a lot of work to catch up on.

"Edward, it's not a bad idea," Emmett began, a little softly, though his eyes were still smiling.

"Edward," I tried again, placing my hand on his arm. "It might be better. It's probably not a great idea to be so out in the open together right away." I suggested. The moment the words left my mouth, I could tell he knew I was right. He'd never admit it though, he had too much pride for that.

"See?" Rosalie said, a little calmer. Edward looked to me.

"You sure you're up for this?" He checked. I nodded.

"Alright, but please return her in the perfect condition I will leave her in," Edward said firmly to Rose. She only rolled her eyes.

"I'm not taking her skydiving. I'm taking her shopping for her apartment".

"With Alice", He added. Rosalie only smiled and muttered "Touché" under her breath. Emmett filled my glass all the way to the top.

"Emmett!" I cried with laughter. "What are you doing?!"

"You're going to need the whole bottle if you're going shopping with Alice".

Just a few hours later, I was in the middle of an upscale furniture store with Rosalie, waiting on Alice. I was completely overwhelmed. We decided to duck into a coffee shop while we waited. As we were walking back to the store from coffee, Rosalie checked her cell phone.

"Oh, good, Alice is on her way". Rosalie said, typing back a text message.

"I don't know if I'll ever find the right furniture," I sounded defeated, though I didn't mean to. I was just tired. I drank the coffee quickly, not caring that it was burning my tongue. I heard my text message alert and dug inside my purse to find it. It was a message from Edward.

_Doing okay? Do I need to call you with a fake emergency? –Edward_

_No, don't worry. I'm okay. Exhausted. But okay. __ -Bella_

By the time Rosalie reached the furniture store, the person I assumed was Alice was waiting outside. She was just as intimidating as Rosalie, but in a different way. Rosalie was tall, blonde and beautiful. Alice was petite, had short dark hair but I could tell she was a force not to be reckoned with. She ran to me and pulled me into her arms.

"You must be Bella!" she squealed in excitement.

"Alice, I presume? It's good to meet you!" I was able to choke out as she squeezed me tightly.

"You too! Alright, let's start shopping!" While I knew she was just excited, it sounded like a commandment. Rose and I followed behind her obediently. She led us to the back corner, where the bedroom furniture was located. Just a few hours and about ten stores later, I had ordered furniture for my bedroom, dining room, living room and TV room. Everyone had been right. Alice was a master at shopping. I don't even remember the drive back to the Palace. I only remember waking up in Edward's apartment at Kensington Palace, nearly sixteen hours later.


	15. Secrets

Just a week later, my apartment was fully furnished. My things from the States had arrived and I was finally starting to feel at home. I had decided to take the job Rosalie had mentioned at lunch at the Palace. I started on Monday. Today was Saturday and I was going to a yoga class and then getting ready for dinner. Tonight, I was having dinner with Edward's father and the Queen. It was a beautiful day in London. I stopped to get a cup of coffee on my way home. As I left the coffee shop, I noticed a man across the street that seemed to be following me. I picked up my pace a little, pulling my cell phone out of my pocket. I texted Rose, knowing Edward was in meetings for at least the next hour. I was only a few blocks away from my apartment. I felt my keys to make sure they were still in my pocket.

_There's a really shady guy following me home from yoga. –B_

_I can send a car with security. Where are you? –Rose_

_Don't worry, I'm almost there. I only have a block to go. By the time they got here I would already be home. –B_

_Well if he is following you, don't be texting. Be aware of your surroundings. Call me when you get home safely. I will come looking for you if I don't hear from you in 15. –Rose_

I smiled, knowing she was right and put my cell phone back in my purse. I could see my apartment building now, but it seemed to be fairly crowded. The closer I got, a pit in my stomach formed. Paparazzi. How did they find me so quickly. I groaned inwardly. Why, oh why, had they found me after yoga? Why not on a day that I had been with Edward or at the Palace with makeup on and my hair done? I smiled shyly as about 20 photographers surrounded me and snapped pictures in my face. I began to get claustrophobic quickly as I sped up my pace, despite the people surrounding me. I held my bag close to me and hurried through the gate and into my front door. As I shut and locked the door behind me, I took a deep breath of relief. I slipped off my shoes and dumped my stuff by the front door, dialing Rosalie's office number quickly. She answered on the first ring.

"Are you okay?" she asked, without any other greeting.

"Yeah, I'm okay. It was just the paparazzi, they're swarming my building," I said, astonished as I peeked through the white lace curtains looking out to the front of the building.

"Oh for goodness sake. How did they find you so quickly? You and Edward have been so careful about public displays of affection. I wonder if someone leaked something".

"I doubt it. Regardless, we knew we were going to have to face this eventually".

"Even so, I think we need to get you a security team", she said. I could hear through the phone that she was typing away quickly on her keyboard. I made my way back to my bedroom and started the shower as I told Rose that I did not want a security team outside my house all the time.

"You know Edward is going to say the same thing, except that instead of suggesting, they will just show up and he will never take no for an answer".

"That's true," I laughed. "You know him well".

"I do. Have you decided what to wear tonight?" she asked, a little distracted.

"Yes. Black dress. Anyway, I should get in the shower. Edward will be here in about an hour and a half to pick me up. I have a lot to do".

"Yeah, Alice said she'd be over in a half hour," Rose said with a laugh.

"Guys no. I am not a Barbie". I complained.

"Yes you are. You're Prince Edward's Girlfriend soon to be Princess Barbie!" Alice chimed with a giggle in the background. I groaned.

"Don't bother locking your doors. She can pick locks," Rosalie warned with a laugh.

"Whatever, fine. I need to get in the shower. I'll see you soon". I ended the call and threw the phone onto my bed. I peeled off my clothes and stepped under the warm water, letting it wash away my anxiety. Well, at least the anxiety over the paparazzi outside. I still had plenty of anxiety left for dinner with Queen Caroline and Prince Andrew.

I slipped on my bra and panties and slipped on a blue silk robe. I stood in front of my closet, trying to figure out which dress I should wear. I decided on a short black lace one. It was conservative and fell just above my knee but had cap sleeves. I hung it on my closet door and set my black wedges beneath it. Alice banged on the door quickly. I hurried over to let her in, sure to stand behind the door to make sure that no one got a shot of me nearly naked.

"Well, we can't have you going out like that," Alice said with a smile. When I saw the size of the makeup bag in her hand I groaned.

"Alice, this is just dinner, not the Oscars". I argued, following behind her to my bedroom. She began unpacking the contents of the bag onto my vanity.

"Sit," she commanded.

"Just promise you won't make me look like a whore," I begged, looking up at her.

"Bella Swan. Trust me. You will look like you, just with your natural beauty and features highlighted. I'll go easy". She promised. I nodded and sat in the chair in front of the mirror.

"So, tell me everything I need to know before dinner," I begged. My palms were beginning to sweat. Alice smiled as she began dabbing something on my face.

"Who do you want me to start with? Prince Andrew or Queen Caroline?"

"Queen Caroline", I said with a deep breath. I was still in denial that I was meeting the Queen. Edward always referred to her as his grandma. It was hard for me to make the distinction that his grandmother was the Queen.

"She is very different in private than she is in public. She does have an image to maintain. She's very quiet, but don't let that fool you. She always takes things in and will comment on them later. Be sure to courtesy when you meet her. That's an obvious one, just follow Edward's lead. Since you'll be in public, he will be treating her formally. She's a lovely woman, though. She loves Edward; they have a very special connection. The very fact that Edward feels so strongly about you is already a few points in your favor. Not to worry," she promised as she dusted powder all over my face and neck.

"Prince Andrew is much like Edward, though they have a strained relationship. He's not as quiet as the Queen, he's quite social actually. He does have a track record of being blunt in his questions; so don't be offended if he asks something personal. He doesn't mean any harm, he's just naturally curious", she explained.

"Why do Edward and his father have a strained relationship?" I asked, my ears perking up at that detail. It was something Edward hadn't much mentioned. In fact, Edward had barely mentioned his father in the months that I'd known him. He talked most frequently about his mother and grandmother, but not about his father. Alice bit her lip, as if she was sorry she'd mentioned it.

"I think it best if Edward fills you in on that," she said, tight lipped.

"Please tell me the story," I pleaded, closing my eyes so she could dab on my eye shadow.

"It's not my story to tell, Bella. You have to trust Edward to come to you".

My mind was elsewhere for the remainder of my makeover. What was it that Alice was referring to? It was a little odd that Edward had barely mentioned his father, wasn't it? It seemed by the way Alice was speaking that it was something more than a mere misunderstanding. Whatever the story was, it was a significant one. I couldn't blame him though, Edward had lost his mother in a tragic accident; there was bound to be a little tension there. I was just zipping up my dress when I heard Alice let Edward in. I slipped on my shoes and took one last glance in the mirror. I had to admit, I mean, not to Alice because I have way too much pride for that, but I did look good. Alice had done my makeup in very neutral colors so it did look very natural. I emerged from the bedroom to find Edward and Alice in a fairly intense conversation on the couch. The moment he saw me, he stood, a large smile crossing his face. Edward was in a dark suit and had never looked more handsome.

"You look beautiful, Bella," he said, a hand resting on his chest above his heart. I kissed him softly on the lips.

"Everything okay?" I asked, looking between he and Alice. They both nodded.

"Well, are we ready to go?" Edward asked, taking my hand and wrapping it around his elbow so our arms were linked. I nodded.

"Thanks again Alice," I hugged her gently with my free arm.

"Anytime, Bella. I'll call you later," she said, slinging a bag over her shoulder and shutting the front door softly behind her.

"Everything okay?" I asked Edward again, once we were alone. He kissed the tip of my nose.

"Of course. Stop worrying". He said with sincerity. I narrowed my eyes.

"Don't lie to me. She warned you that she told me about you and your dad and you're pissed, right?" I accused. If he was surprised, it didn't show. He kept his face completely stoic.

"I'm not mad. I just think she blew it out of proportion. So I'm not close with my dad, why is that a big deal?" He asked defensively.

"It's not really a big deal, it's just a little strange that you never mentioned it". I said calmly, not wanting to be in a big fight before dinner. I leaned forward to kiss his cheek. "Let's just drop it and have a lovely evening with your family," I suggested, leaning into his body. He took a deep breath and kissed my forehead.

"You're right. Let's go". He said with a smile. I slipped on a trench coat and tied the belt around my waist and tucked my clutch under my arm, taking Edward's hand as he led me out into the sea of photographers.

By the time we reached the Palace for dinner I was nearly blind by the flashes from the photographers. I was a little confused as to why they needed so many pictures. Why wasn't one enough? Furthermore, why did they want pictures of _me_? Edward opened the door to his dark black sedan and I slid into the warm leather. As we sped toward the Palace, I was shocked at how calm I was. I mean, sure it was intimidating to be meeting people who I had been seeing on TV and in magazines since I was a kid. We arrived at the Palace quickly. I took a deep breath as a Palace guard helped me from the car. Edward walked around the car and offered me his arm with a reassuring smile. Edward led me inside the red and gold room. As many times as I came here, I don't think I would ever become immune to the feelings this room gave me. I was in awe. One of the Queen's assistant greeted us and led us the blue drawing room to wait for the Prince Andrew and the Queen. Edward poured us each a drink. I sipped on my wine as I looked around the blue room, in complete awe. Edward put his hand on the small of my back, leaning in to kiss my collarbone. Just then, a booming voice greeted us. I turned around, startled. Prince Andrew entered the room in a dark suit. He was tall and skinny, like Edward. He had kind eyes. He walked confidently through the room and reached out his hand to me.

"Bella, I assume, it's lovely to meet you," he said. I gave him my hand and leaned forward and kissed me once on my cheek.

"It's great to finally meet you as well, Prince Andrew," I said shyly.

"No, no, call me Andrew, please!" he said kindly. I laughed.

"Andrew, then" I conceded. He reached over to shake Edward's hand as well. Alice had been right, there was a little tension. Before I had to think about how to break the ice, the Queen arrived.

"Edward! How is it that our offices are next door to one another and this is the first time I'm seeing you this month!" she laughed as she hugged him tightly.

"Grandmother, this is my Bella," Edward introduced, his hand still on the small of my back. I started to courtesy but she stopped me.

"Now, now. I am not the Queen tonight. I am Edward's grandmother. Call me Caroline. I'm so glad to finally meet you". She said, hugging me.

"Dinner will be ready soon, but lets sit and get to know each other in the meantime," Edward's grandmother said, gesturing towards the sofa's. She and Prince Andrew said next to one another on one sofa and I sat next to Edward across from them.

"Are you getting settled in to the new place alright?" Prince Andrew asked, pouring a glass of red wine for Edward's grandmother.

"I am! Finally! I have furniture now and am thinking about painting the bathroom over the weekend," I said, holding Edward's hand tightly.

"How are you liking London? Is Edward helping you get around and all?" Caroline asked, taking the glass of wine from Andrew.

"He is! When I made the decision to move, I had forgotten about things like where to get groceries and where to buy bedding. He's been very helpful," I said, looking at Edward.

Shortly after the conversation began to flow, a staff member came to tell us that dinner was served. I walked alongside the Queen as Edward and Andrew led the way down the hallway to the large dining room. Edward pulled out a chair for me before sitting in the chair next to me. Dinner was fantastic. The conversation flowed easily without any uncomfortable silence. All too soon, it was time to go. Andrew and Caroline walked us back to the entryway where a Palace staff member had Edward's car waiting. Andrew helped me into my coat and I tied the belt around my waist as Edward hugged Caroline goodbye. Edward opened the car door for me and I climbed in, waiving goodbye to Caroline and Andrew. The dinner had gone even better than I had expected.

My first week of work had gone great. Rosalie and Caroline had been giving me tours and the history of the Palace's all week. I'd thoroughly toured both Buckingham and Kensington. It was Friday and Rosalie and I were finishing up at Kensington when I thought I'd stop in and see Edward. He answered the door with a drink in his hand, looking agitated and surprised to see me.

"Bella! What are you doing here?" It sounded more like an accusation and less like a question.

"Oh, I'm sorry," I said, embarrassed and flustered. "Rose and I were just finishing up on my training here so I thought I'd say hello". I said, slowly backing away.

"No, I'm sorry. I'm just really busy. Can I call you later?" he asked, looking back nervously. If I didn't know him any better I would have thought he had a girl hiding in his office.

"Yeah, of course, I'm so sorry", I stumbled over my words, feeling a blush creep up my neck. His face softened and he pulled me into his arms. He smelled like a Whiskey Distillery. He kissed my forehead.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered. "I promise to call you later. Don't feel bad, please don't," he pleaded, hugging me tightly. I shook my head.

"Edward, it's okay," I said, laughing a little to comfort him a little. "Just don't drive anywhere, okay?" I pointed toward the glass of whiskey.

"I have drivers," he said with a smile. He kissed me softly. I walked away, looking back just once with a concerned glance. He stood in the doorway and watched me walk away, ducking into the Palace car.

I spent the better part of my evening worried about Edward. I kept beginning text messages to him, but didn't quite have the guts to send any of them. I didn't want to be "that" girl. I wanted to give my boyfriend space, if that was what he wanted. I trusted him more than anyone, but couldn't help but feel a little anxiety toward the situation I had walked into at Edward's apartment. I was typing another text message when my phone rang. I answered immediately, not even bothering to look at the caller ID.

"Hello?" I said frantically. I cleared my throat.

"Bella? It's Alice. Everything okay?" she sounded concerned.

"Oh, Alice. I'm sorry," I laughed a little. "I thought you were someone else. How are you?" I sunk farther into my brown leather couch, resting my feet on the edge of my coffee table.

"I'm okay. I'm actually on my way out and wanted to see if you wanted to meet for a drink. Sounds like you could use one". I thought for a moment before agreeing.

"Sounds good. Where can I meet you?"

"I'll come pick you up. How long do you need to get ready?" she asked.

"I just need to change and freshen up my makeup. Thirty minutes maybe?"

"See you then!" she chimed excitedly. I ended the call and took a deep breath. I opened up a new text message, determined to send it this time.

_Hey you. I just wanted to let you know I'm going to meet Alice for a drink. Call me if you need anything. Please be safe. –Bella_

Edward didn't text me back. Alice picked me up and we drove to a bar downtown London. Rosalie and Emmett were already there. Emmett enveloped me in a bear hug.

"Bella! It's so good to see you!" he exclaimed, looking around, toward the front door. "Is my brother with you?" he asked, looking a little surprised.

"No, he's at home," I said, trying to hide my concern.

"Wow. He let you off your leash," he joked. "Can I get you a drink, future sister in law?" I rolled my eyes.

"Yes please. And if you're going to continue with the jokes like this, I'm going to need something strong".

"Coming right up," he ordered us shots of Irish whiskey and a few beers.

"To the future princess," he joked, raising his glass to mine. I raised an eyebrow. "Okay…to Bella, the newest resident to London?" he phrased the statement as a question. I nodded once in approval, allowing the liquid to burn my throat. I felt the effects of it almost immediately.

"You know how I hate to pry," Emmett began, laughing as Rosalie nearly choked on her vodka tonic. "What?! I've never pried about their relationship," he argued, throwing his hands in the air.

"Yes you have! Just never to Bella," Rosalie argued, her hand on his back.

"But seriously, do I sense trouble in paradise?" he asked, concern. I could tell his concern was real and not just a burning craving for gossip. I began to pick at the label of my beer, trying not to make eye contact.

"It's nothing," I tried my best reassuring voice but it wasn't very convincing.

"Let's go outside," Emmett suggested, bringing his beer with him. I followed, shooting a reassuring smile at the rest of our group. We were the only ones on the back patio, since it was so cold out. Emmett led me to a corner high-pub table and draped his jacket around my shoulders. I smiled in gratitude.

"Spill it, Swan".

"I'm just a little worried about Edward, it's probably nothing," I tried to sound convincing, but I knew it was pointless. Concern was written all over my face. I tucked my hair behind my ear.

"Can I ask why?" Emmett asked, leaning toward me.

"Rosalie and I were doing some work at Kensington today. After we were done, I thought I'd stop in to say hello, but when he answered the door, he looked upset and smelled like he'd been bathing in whiskey for the better part of the day. I was flustered and a little concerned. The way he was nervous about my mere presence on his doorstep…well, if I didn't know him better I would think he was seeing someone behind my back". Even though I meant it to be a joke, the thought if it stung nevertheless.

"Bella, Edward would never…" he began. I nodded.

"Oh I know. But whatever he was doing, it was secretive". Suddenly, what looked like realization washed over Emmett's face.

"I should go over there," he said, sounding alarmed.

"Why? Is something wrong?" I asked. If Emmett was concerned, then maybe I wasn't far off. Maybe something was going on. Emmett cradled my face in his hands.

"No need for panic, Bella. It's nothing to worry about. I'll head over there to check on him. If he's been drinking all day he shouldn't be alone. Have Alice take you home. I promise to keep you updated". He said, escorting me back inside. I handed him his jacket back as he whispered something urgently in Rosalie's ear. She nodded in understanding and kissed him goodbye. As much as Emmett tried to reassure me, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong.

Author Note: Thoughts so far? Next chapter should be up by Wednesday. Thanks again for reading and being so loyal and patient!


	16. Family Meeting

**I didn't get much sleep that night. Emmett had texted me somewhere around 1 or 2 am that everything was okay. I had just sat down in front of the TV to watch a movie with a cup of cocoa when there was a knock at my door. I was quite shocked to open the door and see Edward standing there; looking much better than the last time I had seen him. I stepped aside and allowed him inside.**

"I'm so sorry about yesterday," he said, removing his coat. I set it over an armchair and sat on the couch, motioning for him to sit next to me.

"Yeah, what happened?" I said. I didn't want to pry, but at the same time, I'd had enough. He took a deep breath.

"Do you remember when we first met, and I flew out to New York to meet with you in your office?" he said, leaning forward, elbows on knees, wringing his hands. He looked so vulnerable it was heartbreaking. I nodded. His hands were shaking.

"Edward, if you're not ready, you don't need to tell me,"

"No, I want to. I'm just more nervous than I thought I would be. Anyway, do you remember what I asked you about?" He said, eyes narrowing. I sighed.

"Edward, I don't have the time or the energy to play that game". I felt bad for my exasperation, but I did have a lot of work to get done for Monday.

"I asked you about your access to crime scene records". Now I was beginning to remember. It was a strange conversation. He never did fill me in on the things he wanted records on.

"Yes, I remember," I stated. My voice was calm, but inside I was anxious and agitated. I had a feeling where this conversation was going and it was a bad idea.

"I have recently, say in the last few years, come across some…evidence that suggests my mothers car 'accident' was not an accident", he said, using air quotes around "car accident". "It's just that things don't add up…everything surrounding this accident is just so shady," he said, running his hands through his disheveled hair. I kept quiet, allowing him to get everything out. "Pieces of conversations I've overheard, reading these old reports, things just don't add up". I took a breath, hesitating. I wanted to choose my next words carefully.

"Do you have anything solid that points toward something other than what the initial police report said?"

"No. Just a feeling".

"Didn't MI-6 just finish an inquest into the accident?" I asked, though I knew the answer. But Edward didn't know that I knew. In fact, I pretty much had the entire conclusion of the inquest memorized.

"They did. They said there was no foul play involved". He admitted. I placed my hands on his.

"Edward, I know this is hard…" I began, but he didn't let me finish. He stood quickly, pacing back and fourth in front of the fireplace. I stayed quiet, allowing him time to think.

"Bella, you don't understand. Do you have any idea how many conspiracy theories that are out there? We should investigate every single one until we find answers". He demanded.

"Edward, please sit down," I said calmly. He paced for another half a minute before returning to the seat on the sofa. I took his hands in mine, turning towards his.

"Part of my job when I reported on the benefit concert when we first met was to first research your mom. Despite the fact that I had idolized her as a kid I studied every fact, every detail of her life, up to and including that horrible accident", I said calmly, slowly, allowing Edward the time to process my words. "There are a lot of…unanswered questions about your mom's death. And I know that is agonizing. I can't imagine". I paused, looking in Edward's eyes, squeezing his hands tighter. "But Edward, please listen to me when I say this. Sometimes in life we face tragedies that are so random, so…agonizing that we have to believe there is a reason. And if there isn't a reason, we look for one. I can't imagine what you and your family went through that day and what you've gone through sense, but that horrible day is history and it isn't coming back".

"But why can't I search for those answers, then?"

"Because it's just chasing a ghost, Edward. I never had the pleasure of meeting your mother, but I know that she loved you deeply. Someone that loves you like that…they want you to live your life. If you allow this to consume you, you may as well climb in the casket with her." I explained, keeping my voice soft, trying to bring comfort and not pain. I knew this was a sensitive subject.

"I met someone who believes my father, my own father, had a hand in her death. Planned it even," he said angrily.

"Edward, there is no evidence of that. Even if it is true, you have to let it go before this eats you alive". Edward stayed quiet contemplating all that I had said before enveloping me in a tight hug.

"Thank you," he whispered in my hair.

"Do you promise me you'll drop this?" I asked, my hands resting on his shoulders. He nodded and leaned in to kiss me. He stood, holding his hand out for me.

"Now, I need to come with me," he said, with a smile that said I wasn't going to like what was next. I narrowed my eyes.

"Where are we going?" It sounded less like a question and more like a demand.

"Your first official duty as the royal girlfriend. A family meeting at the Palace".

After I'd insisted Edward allow me 25 minutes to change and freshen my hair and make up, we were on our way to the Palace. Everyone was already there and waiting. I fought the urge to bite my fingernails.

"So who all is coming to this family meeting?" I asked, scrolling through my e-mails on my cell phone to make sure there wasn't anything to clue me in there. But, there was nothing. No memos, no events, no parties or announcements, nothing.

"Emmett, you, me, my dad and my grandma," Edward responded, exasperated. "Why are you so nervous?" Edward laughed.

"Because personal experience tells me that family meetings equals someone is getting seriously grounded," I argued. Edward only laughed, steering the car into the large, black, wrought iron gates of Buckingham Palace. A familiar staff member opened my door, offering their hand. I stepped out of the car and took Edward's waiting arm as he led me inside. We wound around the long, bright hallways. This was an area of the Palace I hadn't seen before. Edward led me through a secret doorway. I giggled quietly. This part of the Palace looked like a museum. I felt like I needed to whisper.

"Of course it's through a secret doorway," I whispered, rolling my eyes. Edward just smiled, pushing through to reveal the rest of the royal family, looking like statues, sitting around the Queen's desk.

"Edward, Bella!" The Queen welcomed, kissing each of us on the cheek. Edward led me over to a sofa, across from the Queen's desk. I sat close to Edward, as if he would shield me from whatever conversation was about to take place. Since Rosalie wasn't here, I was representing the "significant other" category, which could only be bad for me. The Queen sat down behind the large wooden desk, stapling her hands together. Emmett and Andrew were in large armchairs on either side of the sofa Edward and I were on.

"Bella, Edward, thank you for coming on short notice. I just wanted to go over some engagements we have coming up", Queen Caroline began with a smile. She may be Edward's grandmother 90% of the time, but I got the feeling this was official business.

"In about a month, we'll be celebrating a large family milestone with a ball. That's where we will make the official Palace announcement regarding your courtship, Edward and Bella". She began. Immediately, my palms began to sweat. "After that, Bella, I'm afraid your world as you know it will become quite different. The paparazzi will follow you wherever you go", she continued, with a hint of regret in her voice. It was almost as if she was asking if I really wanted to be part of this life, of Edward's life. Of this I was sure; my answer was yes.

"Before we embark on this…adventure together, I think it's important that we have one last quiet weekend for awhile," she winked at Emmett, as if they shared a special secret. "So, next weekend, we will all go to Scotland for the week". As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Edward grinned, ear to ear, looking back and forth between Emmett, Caroline, Andrew and I. While she went over a few other housekeeping items, mainly public appearances for Emmett and Edward. I held Edward's hand tightly. After about thirty minutes, we were dismissed downstairs for dinner. Edward walked down with Caroline, leaving Emmett and I at the back. Just as I was about to enter the dining room. Emmett grabbed my elbow and pulled me into a nearby room.

"Ow, Emmett! What are doing?" I gasped, rubbing my throbbing elbow. He didn't know his own strength.

"I'm sorry. I wanted to talk to you alone," he whispered, looking around, paranoid.

"Why are you being weird? And why are we whispering?" I asked as he shut the door behind me. "If you're about to hit on me, I'm not into it," I said, half joking. He wouldn't seriously right? The look he shot me answered my question. No.

"No, I want to get your help on something".

"Okay? I'm afraid now," I laughed, crossing my arms across my chest. He raked his hands through his hair, a nervous habit he shared with Edward.

"I'm going to propose to Rosalie in Scotland next week," he blurted out, smiling bigger than I'd ever seen. I squealed in excitement and ran into his arms.

"Congratulations!" I gasped. I didn't know two better people for each other. Except for maybe Edward and I.

"I need your help," he said, setting me down and holding me at arms length.

"I picked out a ring, but need your approval. Meet me at the jewelry store tomorrow?" he asked. I nodded.

"Well sure, but won't that be obvious?" I asked. He shook his head immediately.

"No. I'll send a car for you. They have a side entrance that they share with a business office. I made a special appointment outside business hours. They said they could fit us in right after closing at 7pm. Does that work for you?" he asked. I nodded.

"Have you told Edward?" I asked in excitement.

"No. That's the thing. You can't tell him either". He said. I groaned.

"Emmett! You can't trick me into keeping a secret from him!" I whispered loudly.

"Bella, please. Edward is terrible with secrets. He'll make weird comments and faces every time Rose walk into a room this weekend".

"How do you know I'm not worse at keeping secrets?"

"Because Edward's so bad, I know you will be better. Also I'm pretty confident you have better taste in diamonds and jewelry than my brother". He explained. I nodded in agreement.

"Alright, it's our secret," I agreed, somewhat reluctantly. I hated keeping secrets this big. He shook my hand, beaming again. I hugged him tightly.

"I'm so excited for you," I whispered. He laughed, kissing the top of my head.

"I look forward to when this is you and Edward," he said, so quietly I almost didn't hear him. I only smiled and allowed him to lead me into the dining room, where the rest of the family was waiting for us, curious expressions on their faces. No one looked concerned, just curious. I hid my excitement the best I could, hoping no one would catch on.

The moment the car door closed behind Edward that night, he turned to me with a raised eyebrow. I knew what information he wanted and changed the subject quickly.

"Did you hear that? Princess Lessons?" I questioned, half panicked at the thought. "Like in _The Princess Diaries_, Edward", I exclaimed, as if she told me I would be spending the day with her in a medieval torture chamber. Not that this would be much different. Judging by some of the shoes I had seen Rosalie wear, it couldn't be far off. Edward smirked, throwing the car into gear.

"I doubt that my grandmother is going to tie you to a chair with Hermes scarves, but yeah," he laughed, his eyes never leaving the road. I groaned, leaning back in the leather seat, excited about what the next week would bring.

**Author Note: Sorry this is a little late guys, but...I finally got internet up and running in my apartment, so updates will be coming much quicker now. Loved seeing your thoughts on the next chapter, keep those reviews coming! They definitely motivate me to write quicker! **


	17. Scotland: Arrivals

I was at my desk on a rainy Wednesday afternoon, typing a quick e-mail to Rosalie. There were about six American media outlets who wanted a private tour of the Palace around the same 3-day period just after Christmas, which was only 10 days away. Emmett stopped by my office that afternoon to say hi after taking Rosalie to lunch. He sat at a seat across from my desk, loosening his blue tie.

"How's the job?" he asked, with a smirk. I sighed.

"What did I get myself into?" I laughed, resting my head in my hand.

"Why what's up?" he asked, playing with his tie.

"It's just really busy all of a sudden".

"I think the media smells some news coming," he laughed, referring to his pending engagement. "Thanks again for going with me, by the way," he said.

"Anytime, I'm glad to have helped. It was fun". A few days ago, I had met Emmett at a high-end jewelry store to help him pick out Rosalie's ring. He'd made the final selections all by himself. It was a 3-carat round cut diamond with diamonds around the band. Rose was going to love it, I was sure of it. Emmett had told Edward of his plan the morning before and Edward was over the moon for his brother.

"So you are planning on celebrating Christmas with us, right? You aren't going back to the States are you?" Emmett asked, sounding concerned.

"No, I'll stay with here. I'm not sure of the actual Christmas plans, but I'm staying in London. I think going back to the States would be too hard as the first Christmas without my dad". I said sadly, wiping away a single tear.

"Well we are excited to get to spend it with you. Are you pumped for a little Scotland action this weekend?" he laughed. I nodded.

"Yes and no. Work is so crazy. Hopefully I can get to a good stopping point by Friday. Then I'll feel better about going".

"You get to meet Carlisle and Esme. Has Edward told you about them?"

"He has. I didn't know they were up there though. That's exciting!" Want to know what would be really exciting? When there came a day that I had no more relatives or members of the royal family to meet. It was so nerve wrecking.

"What are you two up to tonight? Do you guys want to grab dinner with Rose and I? So long as you can keep your big mouth shut." He teased.

"Edward and I don't have any plans tonight. I think I'm going to stay in tonight. Watch a movie and go to bed early," I said, a little overwhelmed. Emmett nodded.

"You okay, kid?" he asked. I nodded.

"Yeah, I'm fine" I said, attempting a smile.

"Ok, I should leave you alone and let you get some work done. Give me a call if you change your mind," he said. I smiled, walking around the desk to give him a hug goodbye. His kissed my cheek and left. I sat back down at my desk and sighed, overwhelmed with work.

Luckily for me, the remainder of the week went fairly quickly and I was able to get ahead at work enough to be able to enjoy our trip to Scotland. I was packing my last minute things when Rose knocked on the door, looking like she was about to jump out of her skin. For a moment, I wondered if she'd found out Emmett was planning on proposing.

"Bella Swan. Guess what I got from a friend in L.A.?" she squealed in excitement, squeezing my shoulders.

"I haven't the slightest idea. What?" I asked.

"THE CURRENT SEASON OF THE BACHELOR FROM THE STATES, BABY!" she yelled in excitement, jumping up and down.

"NO WAY!" I gasped, looking at the DVD's in her hands.

"Bachelor drinking game?" she suggested, laughing and wiggling her eyebrows.

"Abso-freaking-lutely!" I agreed high fiving her. Just then, Edward walked in.

"What are we so excited about?" he asked, looking back and forth between us.

"Rose has the current season of The Bachelor!" I replied, though it didn't quite occur to me that he probably wasn't aware of what we were talking about.

"Okay then. I'm just going to grab suitcases and put them in the car," Edward laughed, kissing me quickly as he grabbed the small suitcase at my feet.

"Is this it? Bell?" he asked looking around. Both Rosalie and I laughed. I cradled his face in my hands.

"Aw, so sweet that you actually believe that. That's my bag for the plane. My suitcase is in the bedroom," I laughed. Edward only smirked.

"Silly me. I should have known," he muttered, disappearing into the bedroom. "Good LORD Bella! We're only going for a long weekend! How can you possibly need this much crap?" Edward yelled from the bedroom. Rosalie laughed.

"Aw, I love this stage of the relationship. Stay strong. I'll see you on the plane," Rose said, hugging me before leaving. I sauntered back to the bedroom, where Edward was taking things out of my suitcase.

"WHOA. What are you doing?" I yelled, laughing, stuffing things back in. Edward grabbed me around the waist, picking me up and pulling me away from my luggage.

"For real, Bella, what on earth do you need with all this stuff for three days?" he asked continuing to paw through my things.

"Why are you being so nosey? Just help me zip it up?" I said, blushing as I saw the garment he was inspecting. It was a very risqué piece of lingerie that Rosalie had insisted I get. It was black, lacy and very transparent. Edward lifted an eyebrow.

"And who is this for?" he asked. I rolled my eyes.

"How did that get in there? My mistake," I said, trying to grab it from him. He pulled me to his body, wrapping his arms tightly around me. He backed against the bed, falling onto it, dragging me with him. He kissed me deeply, his hands resting on my hips. I straddled him, deepening the kiss. His hands slid to the backs of my knees. Just then, I jumped as I heard a man clear his throat.

"I'm sorry, I should have called," Emmett said, holding back laughter. I could tell by his expression that he was enjoying this.

"Yeah, you probably should have. Or knocked". Edward said, irritated. I tried to get off Edward, but he held me steady. Edward and Emmett stood there for a good minute, staring one another down. I laughed and climbed off Edward. I quickly tried to suppress my blush, stuffing things back into my suitcase, trying to zip it shut. Edward finally helped after watching me struggle for a few seconds.

"Lets go guys! We're going to miss our flight!" Emmett said leaving us alone and heading back outside. Edward cradled my face in his hands.

"Let's pick up where we left off later," he said seductively, kissing me tenderly.

"STOP SUCKING FACE!" Emmett called from the foyer. I laughed, leaning back from Edward. Edward dragged my suitcase off the bed and to the car. I grabbed my purse and jacket and slipped on my ballet flats. I shut off all the lights and met Edward out at the car, where Emmett was impatiently sitting in the driver's seat of a dark SUV. Edward helped me up into the back and I sat next to Rose, who was typing away furiously on her iPhone. Nearly the moment Edward shut the door behind him, Emmett took off.

The plane ride went by rather quickly. I snuggled up with blankets and slept on Edward's lap for the better part of the flight as he played with my hair. Our plane landed around eleven and night and then the castle was another hour from the airport. In the car, we were all wound up from the flight. Rosalie began to plan our Bachelor date, as the boys laughed about God only knew what in the front seat.

Once we arrived at the castle, Edward and Emmett took our luggage into our rooms and Rosalie and I made a beeline for the theater room. I was stopped though, the moment I walked into the castle. It was exactly the way I pictured a medieval castle. It was warm though, red carpets linin the floor, chandeliers on the ceiling, lighting the hallways. Rosalie gave me a quick tour of the things I could see. She said she'd give me another tour in the morning, during the daylight. Rose led us down a dark hallway to the theater room. She inserted the DVD and the room filled with Chris Harrison's voice. She handed me a bottle of water from the refrigerator and we curled up with flannel blankets on the leather couches. We watched about four or five girls get out of the limo when Emmett and Edward sauntered in. Loudly.

"You two are shameless". Edward said, slipping in next to me.

"We are on vacation. Hush." Rose said, sipping on her water. Emmett handed her a glass of wine and two glasses.

"See? This is why I love you," she said with a smile, as Emmett poured us each a glass.

"Okay, I'm going to go to bed", Emmett said, fleeing the room once the crying started.

"Yeah, I can't even pretend to be even remotely interested," Edward agreed, kissing me goodnight. And finally, Rose and I were left in quiet.

It seemed like moments later, but suddenly, we were almost at the hometown dates and didn't realize what time it was. Not at least until Emmett walked into the theater in pajama pants and a long sleeve shirt, his mouth hanging open.

"A. How are you two still conscious? And B. Why are you still watching this trash?" he asked, flabbergasted, looking between the 3 empty bottles of wine at our feet and the screen, where a pretty massive girl fight was happening.

"I need coffee," he groaned. We couldn't help it. We were riveted.

"I don't know about you but I can't sleep until I'm sure he sends that psycho home!" Rosalie said. I nodded, stifling a yawn. I was tired, but I didn't want to stop watching either. It was like a train wreck, I couldn't tear my eyes away.

Finally, about two hours later, we ripped ourselves away, after he finally smartened up and set her home. I yawned and checked the clock.

"Dang it! It's almost 9am!" I laughed. Rose smiled.

"Let's just cat nap in here. I don't want to hear the boys make fun of us". I nodded in agreement. It seems like I'd only had my eyes closed for a minute when Edward woke me up.

"Sweetheart, wake up," he nudged gently, handing me a cup of coffee. I hugged a pillow tighter to my chest and rolled over, hoping he'd go away. He only laughed and rolled me back over. I groaned and took the cup from his hands, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. I sipped on the coffee, hoping my system would absorb the caffeine quickly. Emmett walked in then and took in the sight before him. He only shook his head.

"Do you see what that show has done to you?!"

"No…what you are looking at is what the wine did!" Rosalie argued, her voice muffled by a pillow over her face. Emmett handed her a bottle of aspirin and some water.

"Don't do this to my girlfriend again!" Emmett scolded me.

"Me?! She was the instigator!" I laughed.

"Regardless. Go shower. Meet us out front. Look decent". Emmett commanded. Edward kissed my forehead and left me with Rose. She groaned.

"You okay over there?" I asked, sitting up, sipping my coffee, and finally beginning to feel the caffeine.

"No". Rosalie draped an arm over her face. I laughed.

"Lets go shower. I don't want to be feeling the wrath of Edward and Emmett all day". I took her arm and led her upstairs. I showered and dressed quickly, meeting Rosalie back in the kitchen, where she was nibbling on a few crackers.

"Ready?" I asked. She nodded, grabbing her purse and leading me down the hallway to the front entrance where Edward and Emmett were already waiting. Emmett was hanging out the front passenger door.

"Get in losers, we're going shopping!" he called, laughing to himself. I only shook my head, giggling quietly. Rosalie rolled her eyes.

"You know you just admitted to everyone that you've watched that movie enough to know the lines," Rosalie pointed out. Emmett shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't care," Emmett insisted as Rosalie and I climbed into the car.

Edward drove us into the small, quaint town about 30 minutes away. I perked up immediately as I saw how beautiful Scotland was. I could already tell; four days would not be enough. Especially with my first televised interview hanging over my head. Edward parked the car along the cobblestone streets and we climbed out. Edward held my hand tightly as we walked through the streets, laughing at Emmett's jokes.

"Where are we going, by the way," Rosalie asked, excitement brewing in her eyes, as if she had a guess where we were headed.

"Meeting Carlisle and Esme," Edward said with equal excitement. Suddenly I was very nervous. Edward pulled me close to his body, wrapping a reassuring arm around my waist.

"I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to worry," he said with a shy smile. He leaned in and kissed me cheek. I only smiled, trying to convince him it was all right, but I doubt I was convincing by the way his thumb traced circles on the small of my back, over my navy dress.

Emmett held open the door to a quaint café on a corner unit. It was brightly colored, calming me immediately. The wall-to-wall windows let in the beautiful Scotland sunshine. I knew Esme and Carlisle the moment I walked in. They were sitting in a round corner table, looking lovingly into one another's eyes. Carlisle was wearing a gray suit and blue tie. He was tall, like Edward but muscular like Emmett. Had I not known better, I would've thought they were Emmett and Edward's biological parents. Carlisle had blonde hair and a kind smile. Esme had dark mahogany hair and bright green eyes. She was wearing a purple dress. Rosalie seemed most excited to see them at first. She squealed and ran into Carlisle's arms. Carlisle and Esme took turns hugging Emmett and Rose, saving Edward and I for last. Carlisle reached for my hands, holding me at arms length.

"And you must be the beautiful Bella we've heard so much about," he grinned. I nodded shyly.

"It's great to meet you," I said, more quietly than I meant. Edward kissed Esme on the cheek before introducing me to her as well.

"And Bella, this is Esme. Esme, Bella".

"Bella, wonderful to meet you," Esme greeted. Carlisle showed us to our table and we all slid into the booth. Carlisle had ordered a bottle of champagne for the table. The waiter opened the bottle carefully, pouring us each a glass. Carlisle raised his glass.

"To being together again. And to Bella. Welcome to the family," Carlisle said, his eyes twinkling. I looked over at Edward then, thoroughly enjoying the look of happiness that was in his eyes. I leaned forward to kiss him, feeling completely content for the first time in a long time.

IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hey Everyone! Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed the first chapter about Scotland! As you may be seeing, Edward and Bella's relationship is developing deeper and deeper. Naturally, Bella and Edward will begin to explore the more physical side of their relationship in the next few chapters. Here is where I need your help. I am committed to keeping the rating of this story the way it is for my younger readers. However, I also believe that it's important to see Bella and Edward's intimate connection as well. So here is my favor. Please review or PM me with your vote: Do I begin a new story of "outtakes" with these scenes, or write around them? I appreciate your feedback. Much love! Next chapter is almost done, so it should be up soon. Thanks again!


	18. Scotland: Carlisle and Esme

The meeting with Esme and Carlisle could not have gone any better. I loved them immediately and understood quickly why Edward was so close to them. We'd spent the better part of the day together, until Edward's father called to say he and Queen Caroline had arrived and were looking forward to a family dinner. On our way home, we decided to stop at a beach to watch the sunset, as cliché as it sounded. I held Edward's hand tightly as I slipped out of my shoes. Emmett and Rosalie had taken off running toward the other end of the beach, leaving Edward and I alone.

"Are you angry with me that I didn't give you a heads up about Carlisle and Esme?" he asked, wrapping his arms around me tight. I smiled up at him, locking my hands around his neck. I leaned forward for a kiss. Edward deepened it, his tongue skimming my lips seductively. It was me who had to break the kiss for air.

"I'm not angry," I promised, resting my head on his chest, listening to his strong heartbeat. "I loved them, by the way. I see why you are so close to them".

"They've certainly been a large part of my life, especially in the last couple of years as my responsibilities as part of the royal family have increased". Edward said, taking my hand and leading me down the beach in the opposite direction Emmett and Rosalie had run. While it was cold, it was a perfect winter day. I shivered and Edward pulled me into his arms. Suddenly, I gasped as I watched Emmett, on the far side of the beach, drop to one knee and pull out the ring. I squealed, jumping up and down in Edward's arms in excitement. He laughed, hugging me to his chest, kissing the hollow of my neck. I stood up on my tiptoes and Edward lifted me up so I wouldn't have to reach. I kissed him, long and passionate.

The remainder of our trip went by too quickly. Before I knew it, we were on a plane back home. It was just Edward and I this time; the rest of the family had their own appearances and schedules away from London. Rosalie and Emmett were going to the Middle East for a visit. I sat near Edward who was reading a newspaper, drifting in and out of sleep. Just as we were about to land, Edward woke me.

"Bella, sweetheart, I need to sit up. We're landing," he whispered, kissing me softly. I yawned, sitting up, scooting closer to him. This was the part of the week I'd been dreading. Christmas and TV interviews. I just had to get through the next four days and it would all be over. My first TV interview and my first Christmas without my dad. Despite the fact that I had Edward and his family, it still wasn't the same. I knew Edward was trying so hard to make sure that I was happy here and that my mind stayed as far away from Charlie as possible, but I tried not to let him know how much I was still hurting.

"Can I take you to lunch?" he asked, twirling my hair.

"Sure," I rested my head on his chest as the pilot landed the plane smoothly. I got off the plane a step behind Edward, watching my feet as I descended the stairs. Edward held my hand tightly as people put our baggage in the trunk of Edward's car. There were a few photographers on the far side of the gate, but I was too exhausted and hungry to even care. Edward took me to a quiet café near my apartment. We'd eaten here a few times since I'd moved; it was one of my favorites. I was finishing my soup when Edward's face suddenly became serious. He pushed away his plate, stapling his hands on top of the table.

"Bella, I need to talk to you about something," he began. I was a little taken aback by the expression on his face, as if he was preparing himself for something.

"Okay, shoot," I was nervous suddenly for some reason.

"I need to put a protective detail on you". He said quickly, never breaking eye contact.

"No." I said, with finality. This was exactly what I had been dreading.

"This isn't up for discussion, Bella".

"You're right it's not," I quipped, crossing my arms across my chest.

"It's already done. They're outside your apartment now".

"_They_?" There was more than one?

"They". Edward confirmed. I groaned.

"Edward, I don't want this to be a circus. I'm just an American girl. No one is going to want to hurt me," I insisted.

"An American girl whose boyfriend is in line for the throne", he reminded me, as if I needed a reminder.

"I'll repeat myself again. This isn't up for discussion".

"Edward, this is ridiculous".

"I agree, but it's necessary".

"Have you received any credible threats against your life or mine?" I asked. He shook his head.

"Doesn't matter".

"Please, Bella," he pleaded. I stared him down for at least a minute.

"One".

"I will not compromise on your safety".

"Edward, I'm trying. I refuse to allow my life to be a circus. But if this is something you need, then one". I said stubbornly. He just stared at me angrily for a minute and then his expression softened.

"Fine," he relented. I still wasn't happy about it, but at least I only had one person following me now. Edward still looked victorious. I rolled my eyes at his smile.

"You do realize this is incredibly unnecessary, right?" I reminded him as he paid the check.

"No, it's not. Not to me. It will help you sleep better." He said. I raised my eyebrow at that comment.

"How do you know I haven't been sleeping well?"

"Because we slept in the same room while we were in Scotland and you had crazy nightmares. Don't you remember me waking you up? We talked about them for nearly an hour before you were able to go back to sleep". He said with a very confused look on his face. Mirroring my own, I was sure. I shook my head slowly. I'd remembered the nightmares, but hadn't remembered my own boyfriend waking me up from them. He must have read something on my face. He reached across the table to take my hand.

"Please don't be afraid. I won't let anyone hurt you". I only nodded. The nightmares had been haunting at best. I was more afraid of the nightmares than I was of reality at this point. They were all mostly different, but somehow the same.

"Ready to go?" he asked, slipping back into his wool peacoat, bringing me out of my thoughts. I nodded and shrugged into my jacket as Edward held it for me.

As I drifted off to sleep that night, alone in my apartment, I did begin to see Edward's point. I would never tell him that because I have too much pride for that, but I did understand. I fell asleep easily, knowing that there was a member of Palace Security in my living room. The dull noise of the TV from the living room was just enough noise to help me fall asleep, despite the fact that tomorrow I would be interviewed on national television.

I woke up the next morning rested. When I emerged from my bedroom, I saw that my night security guard had left and the day guard had replaced him. I greeted him good morning and started coffee.

"These were just dropped off for you, Miss," Tyler, the Palace Guard said, pointing towards a beautiful bouquet of lilies resting on my kitchen table. I couldn't contain the ear-to-ear grin as Tyler handed me the card.

_Good luck today! I know you'll do great! Dinner wherever you want to celebrate tonight! Always, Edward_

I smelled the flowers, comforted by the floral aroma. I set the card next to the crystal vase and went to my bathroom to shower and get ready. Even though I hadn't heard from her, I knew Alice would be bouncing in like Tigger from Winnie the Pooh within the hour, no doubt to approve my hair, outfit and makeup like a strict stage mom.

Just as I zipped up my red dress, I heard Tyler announce Alice's arrival. I rolled my eyes and braced myself. I was both pleased and shocked at her reaction when she walked through my bedroom door.

"Wow Bella, you look amazing!" she admired. I was wearing a Christmas-red dress, black tights and black heels. Since it was Christmas Eve, I thought it would be festive, especially since the interview was about the holidays at the Palace. My make up was subtle, I'd used a lot of nudes, because I didn't want it to be too dramatic on camera.

"You're perfect. My work here is done. I have taught you well, young grasshopper," she joked, her hands in a prayer position at her chest as she bowed ever so slightly. I only laughed.

"Are you coming with me?" I asked excitedly, glad I wouldn't have to walk into the Palace on my own. She nodded.

"Yeah, everyone's over there I think. They have meetings, but they were hoping to catch you before their meeting started". She said, adjusting her bag over her shoulder. I nodded in understanding and shrugged into my black trench coat. I grabbed my purse and followed Tyler outside to the waiting dark SUV. I pulled out my materials again, reading over my notes quickly, not wanting to miss any part of the tour.

"Don't worry, Bella. Rose will be there the whole time. They have a teleprompter and she can always fill you in between takes if there's something you missed", Alice reassured me sweetly.

"Thanks, Alice. I guess I'm just a little nervous".

"Of course. You'll get used to it though. I think it'll be fun".

Once I was at the Palace I was overwhelmed by the amount of people it took to produce a 2-person interview. I found Edward in the back of the blue room, speaking with Emmett and Rose. I ran into his waiting arms. He kissed my cheek.

"I'm glad I caught you. Emmett and I are about to head into a really long meeting with my grandmother. How are you feeling? Excited?" he asked, resting his hand on the small of my back.

"Yeah, I'm excited, trying to stay calm. It's strange…being in front of cameras". I took a deep breath.

"Alright, Bella, it looks like the reporters are here. Ready?"

"Yep! Any words of wisdom?" I asked, looking between Edward and Emmett. It was Emmett who spoke first.

"Yes. You're in a dress. Keep your knees closed." He laughed. Edward smacked him upside the head. I rolled my eyes.

"Noted." I leaned forward to kiss Edward goodbye.  
>"I'll see you tonight," he promised, kissing my forehead as he followed Emmett out of the room. Rosalie led me to the corner of the room where the initial interview would take place, before the tour.<p>

"Now Bella, there are two things you need to remember," Rosalie said quietly, so that only I could hear. "We haven't announced you and Edward as a couple yet or Emmett's and my engagement. If they ask you, all you need to say is that the Palace does not have an official comment on either". I nodded in understanding, taking a deep breath to steady my shaking hands.

Now that the interview was over, it was much easier to enjoy the holidays. Hard still, but less stressful at least. As I showered early Christmas morning, I let the tears of grief for my father run down my cheeks. I was grateful for this chance to a new start.


	19. Anxiety

**Edward's POV**

_Things were foggy. It was hard to tell where I was. I think I was in a car, maybe? I could hear Bella, somewhere in the distance, but it was hard to make out. As I felt my eyelids flutter. The smell of blood was strong. As my heart begun to thud I knew something was very wrong. Bella was in trouble. As my eyelids began to adjust to the light, I saw that glass was smashed all around. I looked beside me to see Bella slumped in an unnatural position, blood coming hard and fast from a large gash just below her hairline. I searched around me for something, anything, to help stop the bleeding, but there was nothing except glass and broken pieces of the car around me. I heard sirens in the distance as I lost consciousness once again. _

I shot up in bed, drenched in a cold sweat, my heart racing. I looked around the room frantically, trying to sort fact from fiction. I felt the pillow next to me, panic rising as I found the other side of my bed empty. I remembered after a horrifying moment that Bella was back at her apartment. We'd spent an amazingly romantic weekend together in Paris, which was cut short by work commitments for us both. I fought the urge to call her at 3am. I held my face in my hands as I steadied my breath, reminding myself that Bella was probably sleeping soundly just a few miles away. I laid back in bed, throwing an arm over my eyes, hoping the horrific images of my Bella, covered in blood, would leave my mind, but I knew that even if I lived a thousand years, I couldn't forget those images.

I felt like a zombie for the better part of the day. I hadn't been able to fall back asleep after that horrific nightmare, so by one that afternoon, I was struggling to keep my eyes open. I only had one meeting left and then I could have Rosalie clear the remainder of my schedule. The moment the meeting was over, I headed over to Bella's office, needing to see her. I knew the moment I fell asleep, the horrible nightmares would come back if I didn't show myself she was okay. I found Bella in her office, having take-out with Emmett for lunch.

"Does this happen often?" I joked, looking between them.

"Once a week maybe". Emmett shrugged, his mouth full of food. I unbuttoned my suit jacket and leaned across the desk to kiss Bella.

"Hey, love, how was your day?" I sat across from her, next to my brother.

"Long and no where near being over. Hey, are you okay? You don't look that great," she said, reading the lines around my eyes.

"I didn't sleep that great". I shrugged, taking a bite of Emmett's food. He glared at me but I pretended not to notice.

"Why don't you head home and take a nap?" she suggested, concern evident in her voice.

"I'm kidnapping your girlfriend tonight, by the way," Emmett mumbled through the enormous amount of food in his mouth.

"Dude, please. Chew and swallow. I don't want to see that," I scolded, growing more irritated by the minute. "And what do you mean you're kidnapping my girlfriend tonight? You have a fiancée. Take her". It sounded ruder than I meant it. Bella looked a little taken aback for a moment. She and Emmett exchanged a look.

"We're just going up to meet Carlisle and Esme. You and Rosalie have to stay for some kind of appearance with Grandma tomorrow morning. We were just going to spend the night with them". Emmett explained. I nodded. I did want Bella to get to know Esme and Carlisle more, just with me and not Emmett.

"Well, I stopped by to talk to Rose, so I should go and try to catch her. I just wanted to stop by and say hi". I leaned forward and kissed Bella goodbye quickly.

"See ya, Emmett," I said, patting his shoulder as I left the office, walking quickly to Rosalie's, down the hall. I needed sleep and I needed sleep fast before I turned into a raving lunatic.

**Emmett's POV**

The moment Edward left the room, Bella and I exchanged a glance.

"I should go talk to him," Bella said, an anxious look on her face. I stopped her.

"No, I'll go. He's my brother". I set my box down on Bella's coffee table and left her office, closing the door behind me. By the time I caught up to Edward, he was almost to Rosalie's office.

"Hey man, wait up," I called, jogging to catch up. Edward turned around, stopping to wait for me. He looked like a scared little kid. It reminded me of the week our mother died.

"What's wrong?" I asked him, crossing my arms across my chest, leaning against the wall.

"Nothing," he insisted, though not convincingly. "I'm just tired. I didn't get a lot of sleep last night. I came to see if Rosalie could clear my schedule for the rest of the afternoon. I need some sleep". He admitted. He did look exhausted.

"I'll cancel our trip with Esme and Carlisle. I didn't mean to upset you. I just knew you were slammed with the family business all weekend and wanted them to get to know Bella. I know it's important to you and just wanted to help". I told him.

"I know, thanks. You don't need to cancel it". He told me. He looked like he was going to fall asleep standing up.

"No, it's important, but you should be the one to take her. I'll stay around here. I'll go talk to Rose, you head home. Get some sleep". I told him. He didn't argue, just thanked me and headed toward the door.

**Bella's POV**

I had planned on inviting Edward over for dinner, but since he had asked for an evening off, I decided against it, wanting to let him get some sleep. Just as I was packing up to head home for an evening alone, Rosalie knocked on my door, looking panicked.

"Bella, we have a problem. Somehow, the press has gotten a statement from a source about you and Edward's relationship. Apparently, pictures were taken while you were with Edward in Paris that make it obvious you're a couple". I blushed as she mentioned the weekend in Paris with Edward. It had been the single most romantic weekend of my life. I was almost positive that a honeymoon couldn't have been more romantic.

"Bella, the press is swarming the building". She went on. I waved my hand, shrugging it off.

"Rose, we knew this day was coming. It's fine".

"Right. But we were supposed to have control over it," she exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air. I only shrugged.

"Right, but it's out. So let's just deal with it," I said as I stuffed my laptop into my bag.

"I think we need to head up to Scotland now, just until this calms down".

"I think you're blowing this out of proportion. The longer we make them wait for photographs, the more bloodthirsty they will become," I reminded her.

"Fine. But I've already called a driver and security team".

"Rosalie, that's not necessary". The words hadn't left my mouth when Emmett barged in.

"What's with the circus out front?" he asked, his eyes wide.

"Someone leaked pictures from when Bella and Edward were in Paris".

"Why? Were they the dirty kind or something?" Emmett laughed. I shook my head; blush creeping up my neck at the thought. It was bad enough that the world already seemed to know what went on in the hotel room that weekend.

"Well, I think it's probably best to get out of the city at least for the evening. They have your apartment surrounded, it's not a safe place to go," Emmett insisted. I groaned.

"Let's just make a fun sleepover with it. Rose, pick up Edward and meet us at Esme and Carlisle's cottage up north. It's only an hour away". Emmett suggested. Rosalie and I exchanged looks. As much as I wanted to sleep in my own bed, I didn't want to be plastered all over newspapers. I nodded in agreement.

"Great. Bella and I will go ahead. Rose, you and Edward meet us there tonight". The moment the words were out of his mouth, Rosalie began typing furiously on her BlackBerry. I groaned inwardly. This was the exact sort of thing I'd wanted to avoid all along.

"Edward went home to sleep, but it looks like he's turned his phone off. Oh well. You'll be fine on with Emmett. Call me when you get there," she said, all business as she kissed Emmett quickly on the cheek, telling him she'd see him later. I straightened my dress as I followed Emmett down the hallway to our waiting car, whisking us away to the safety of the country.

**Edward's POV**

I woke up groggy, unsure of the time. I squinted at the alarm clock on the nightstand next to my bed. It was close to 9 at night. I groaned. I couldn't believe I had slept so long. I was supposed to do an appearance with Rose and my grandmother in the morning and I was going to look like hell. There was no way I was going to be able to fall back asleep now. I turned my cell phone back on, half afraid to read the e-mails that were sure to be waiting for me. Text messages from Emmett, Bella and Rosalie came through. I scrolled through Bella's first.

_Hey, hope you're getting some sleep! Just wanted to give you a heads up that some photographers leaked our relationship and now my apartment is crawling with paparazzi. Emmett was going to drive me up to Carlisle and Esme's and you and Rose are going to meet us up there? Hurry up, please! Miss you already. Love, B_

_Edward, please call me when you wake up, we need to get to Carlisle's. –Rose_

_Edward, Bella and I are almost to Carlisle's. Just stopped for some gas. See you soon. –Emmett_

There were a few voicemails, mostly from Rose, so I chose to ignore them for a moment. I set my phone back down on the nightstand and changed into jeans and a hoodie. Rose was going to kill me for being so late, but I was having a hard time caring. My phone buzzed on my table. Rosalie again. I rolled my eyes, but answered, exasperation evident in my voice.

"Rose, I'm up. Let me just pack a bag and we can go". I rubbed the sleep from my eyes.

"Edward, no," she sounded panicked. It was a tone of voice I hadn't heard before from Rosalie. I knew immediately something was very wrong.

"Edward, something's happened. I need you to come to the hospital right away".

**Rosalie's POV**

I watched Edward from a far side of the waiting room at the hospital. We were waiting to hear news about Bella. Emmett would be just fine. The car was hit head on when another driver swerved into their lane trying to dodge a photographer on the side of the road. Emmett had only a few cuts and bruises, but Bella was most impacted by the crash, since she was sitting in the front passenger seat, where the other car hit. Edward was slumped over in a chair, his head buried in his hands, looking like a scared little boy. I had a strong feeling that this accident was bringing back the horrific memories of the night his mother was killed. Just then, a doctor walked through the doors, looking serious. The doctor walked straight to Edward.

"She's going to be just fine," he began, a hand resting on Edward's shoulder. "Her injuries looked more serious than they were. She has a broken wrist and a couple of bad cuts. She's going to be pretty sore the next few days. But she should be able to go home once we get her stitched up. I am going to give her some medication for the pain, so I would rather her not be alone the next few days". He said kindly. Edward only nodded in gratitude.

"Thank you, Doctor," he said with a shaky voice, reaching out to shake his hand.

"We are just finishing up and then you can take her home". He said before he disappeared back behind the wooden doors. Slowly, I crossed the room to sit beside my brother to be. I rested a hand on his shoulder.

"Are you alright?" I whispered, almost afraid to speak louder, though I wasn't sure why. He only nodded, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"I'll call the Queen. We can bring her back to rest at the Palace. It's probably the best place. It's a PR nightmare to have her move in with you and her place is out of the question, it's too exposed". I said, jumping into action, wanting Bella to be back with us. Edward nodded in agreement.

"Grandma already texted me and said to bring her back to Buckingham. She's going on another trip anyway". He shrugged, studying his hands.

"Edward, she's going to be alright". I tried to reassure him. Edward shook his head violently.

"No, Rosalie. This is going to continue to happen. It's my fault. I should have been ahead of the press on this. She shouldn't have to take her life in her hands every time she gets into a car. When I asked her to move her, I thought that it would free her. I thought that she would fall in love with Britain, like I have, and that we could build a life here. I imagined falling in love with her here and starting our life together. Tonight was just a big fat reminder that I can't have those things. Not like I want. Not like she deserves. She's better off without me in the picture. She deserves something bigger than this. I wouldn't be shocked if I walked into that room and she said something along the lines of 'you're not worth this'". I leaned forward, taking his hands in mine.

"Edward, you are worth it. She loves you. She told you as much in Paris. I know because she told me. You can start a life together and you have. But it won't be without struggle. The newness will slowly wear down with the press. We just have to be careful for a while until then. I think we should have Bella stay at Buckingham, at least until the paparazzi backs off of her a little. We need to step up public appearances, after she recovers of course". I said, trying to reassure him. He nodded in agreement.

"Thanks, Rose", he smiled for the first time in what seemed like days. It was weak, but it was a smile. "I'm glad Emmett has you", he said it with such sincerity that my eyes misted a little. Just then, Emmett came around the corner. He didn't say much, only enveloped me into a tight hug before moving to Edward.

"I'm so sorry I couldn't do more to stop it, Edward. It happened so fast". Emmett apologized, sounding tortured. Edward shook his head again.

"It was an accident. There was nothing you could have done. No one is seriously injured, that's the important thing," Edward reminded him. There was a ghost of something in Edward's voice just then, but I couldn't place it. Before I could ask either one about it, a doctor wheeled Bella out in a wheelchair. Edward went to her side immediately, squatting down to kiss her lightly.

"I'm so glad you're okay," he said softly, cradling her face in his hands. She smiled, leaning into his hand.

"Me too," she murmured, obviously exhausted.

"Let's get you home," I said, leading the group toward the front entrance where a large SUV was waiting with a police escort. Bella looked a little nervous.

"That's what the police are here for," Edward told her, holding her good hand. The orderly that had wheeled Bella out stopped the wheelchair just beside the back passenger door. Edward scooped Bella up in his arms, cradling her close to his body as he set her gently in the leather seat. Emmett and I crawled in the back and Edward sat beside Bella.

"So Edward, should we tell Bella what she's won?" Emmett boomed in his best game show host voice. Edward laughed, Bella looked horrified as she looked back at me for help. I rolled my eyes.

"As a safety measure, we're going to move you to Buckingham. We want to allow you to recuperate in peace, without photographers. I'll go over and pack you a bag tomorrow. Until then, I have clothes you can borrow". I told her, smiling to calm her down. She shrugged. She hated attention and we all knew it.

**Bella's POV**

Once we got back to the Palace, Edward carried me upstairs to the room I'd first stayed in. The room was beautiful, but I couldn't help but think about the last time I'd been in this room, when I'd gotten that dreadful phone call. I was, however, very excited to take a swim in the bathtub. I was still in the bloodied clothing from my accident and I couldn't wait to get out of it. Edward shut the door behind us. He took me gently into his arms, holding me close to his body, careful not to hold me too tight.

"I'm okay," I whispered into the crook of his neck. He only nodded.

"I know. Now, lets get you out of these clothes".

"Can I take a bath?" I was able to croak out. The pain medication was really starting to set in and I wanted to get cleaned up before bed.

"Absolutely. I'll go start it for you. There's a robe in the closet still if you want to change into that. Rosalie will be up in a few minutes with some pajama's for you". He told me before disappearing into the bathroom. I changed quickly, being careful not to use my hurt wrist. I could feel the muscles in my body beginning to ache from the crash. Just as I tied the robe around my body, Rosalie knocked quietly before entering with a small bundle of clothes.

"Hey you," she greeted, closing the door softly behind her. She set the clothes on the bed. "I found a bag of your clothes at the office, so I brought them up". I nodded in thanks. My eyelids were getting heavy. Just then, Edward emerged from the bathroom.

"I'll help her," Rosalie said, leading me to the bathroom. She helped me step into the tub, holding my arm to steady me. I sank into the tub and could have fallen asleep right there. Rosalie helped me wash my hair and wash the smell of blood off my body. The bath was over too fast, I was looking forward to taking a nice long soak tomorrow when the pain medicine had worn off and I wasn't so tired. Rosalie helped me slip into a grey t-shirt and black leggings.

"Thanks, Rose".

"Anytime, I'm just glad you're okay!" she said, leading me back to the bedroom where Edward was waiting.

"Goodnight, Bella," Rosalie said, slipping out of the room. I slid under the covers and Edward kissed my forehead.

"I'm just next door. All you have to do is pick up the phone here," he said, pointing to the black phone on the nightstand. "If you need anything, call me. I'll leave a bottle of water here for you too," he said, his hand resting on my hip. I nodded in thanks.

"Goodnight, Bella. I'm so glad you're alright". He sighed, his forehead resting on mine.

"I love you," I breathed, kissing his lips softly. He smiled through the kiss.

"I love you, too, Bella Swan".

**Author's Note: I wasn't sure how I felt about this chapter, which is why this took me so long. But, I am going to do outtakes for the time that passed between the last chapter and this chapter. Edward and Bella snuck away to Paris, where Edward told her he loved her for the first time. **

**Review and let me know what you thought. I'm just on editing phases of the next chapter so I'll have the next chapter up in the next few days. **


	20. Girls Trip: Part I

**BPOV**

I had been in London nearly six months. The Royal Family was gearing up from a long summer of public appearances, which kicked my newfound anxiety into overdrive. Edward and I were doing very well, but we didn't get to see each other as much as we'd like. Even with me working at the Palace, I barely got to see him. Most weekends he traveled and I helped Rosalie with wedding plans. Currently, the Palace was trying to convince Emmett and Rose to televise their wedding, though neither of them wanted to.

I was sitting in Rosalie's living room, not far away from my own apartment, as she barked orders to someone about flower arrangements. Alice sat across from me, thumbing through design magazines, helping Rosalie construct a custom made wedding gown. Rosalie looked over her shoulder, holding a thumbs up as Alice pointed to a mermaid silhouette. I sighed, staring out the window at the beautiful day outside downtown London.

"Bella, snap out of it. I need your help," Alice said, bringing me out of my daydream.

"Sorry. What do you need?"

"Bridesmaid dress. What do you think about this?" she asked, holding up a picture from a magazine. "Of course, I'd re-design it a bit, but this is the general idea".

"It's not my wedding. It's Rosalie's. I'm good with whatever". I grabbed the bottle of the wine from the middle of the table a poured another large glass. Rosalie held out her glass for a refill as well, shooting me a look when I stopped when the glass was about half full.

"Fill 'er up," she snapped, feigning annoyance. I laughed but obliged as Alice rattled off orders for bridesmaids dresses.

"Bella I forgot to ask you, did you get the dress I sent over for that benefit on Friday?" Alice asked, hugging a dress to her chest.

"Um, what benefit?" I asked with slight panic. I knew I didn't have anything on my calendar.

"I asked Edward to fill you in," she said, her face dropping in disappointment. I just laughed and shook my head.

"I haven't really seen Edward in a good week. You should probably just let me know directly from now on," I told her, shooting a glance at Rose. I had vented to Rose just yesterday that I had been blindsided by appearances before. Edward is busy and doesn't always remember to tell me those things. Alice sighed in frustration.

"Bella, you're being considered part of the royal family now, you need to step up and take responsibility", Alice began. I cut her off immediately.

"Alice, I would take responsibility if YOU would communicate with me directly instead of with my boyfriend, who by the way is in line for a throne. So excuse us if we don't have the time to make sure we are all on the same page about appearances. Excuse me; I need to be somewhere this afternoon. Rose, I'll talk to you tonight," I said, slipping on my shoes quickly and picking up my purse from the floor. I shut the door gently behind me as a driver escorted me into a dark sedan. I brushed a single tear off my cheek. James, one of the security guards looked at me skeptically through the mirror.

"I'm fine," I assured him. He only nodded once and went back to discussing a game with our driver. Finally, the car pulled in front of my apartment. Without a word to the driver or James, I slid out of the car and hurried up to the walkway, unlocking my apartment door with a newfound speed. I grabbed a bottle of wine out of my refrigerator and poured myself a larger than normal glass. My cell phone rang from my purse. It was Rosalie calling.

"Hey, you okay?" she asked softly.

"I'm fine. Just frustrated". I shrugged, taking a long sip of wine.

"Why don't I come over?" she suggested.

"No, that's not necessary". I assured her.

"Well I'm outside anyway". She laughed. I smiled, ending the call and went to answer the door. Rose laughed when she saw my wine.

"That's my girl!" She laughed, taking my glass. I went to pour myself another.

"I brought over all the wedding stuff if you want to help me. I relieved Alice of her duties for the afternoon. Not to make any excuses for her, but I really don't think she meant any harm. She is just stressed out like the rest of us". Rosalie said, settling on a corner of the couch, tucking her feet beneath her.

"I know. I've just been having anxiety attacks the past couple of days. I'm in a new country; new job, nothing familiar and I have barely seen Edward lately".

"It'll get better. This is just a busy time for the royal family. Between the wedding and the queen Edward's duties nearly doubled in a span of 2-3 days. Do you want me to see if I can rearrange his schedule next week so you can spend some time together?" She asked, kindly. I shook my head.

"No, but thank you. I could go with him if I wanted, he's asked before, but I don't want to do things like that until we are either engaged or married. His duties are his. I don't want people to gossip. I'll be fine. Moving anywhere is always an adjustment". I shrugged. I sounded confident, but I didn't completely feel that way. Rose looked concerned, and then suddenly, she became very excited, bouncing up and down on the couch.

"Let's do a girls weekend! It will be just you and I. We can blow off this benefit this weekend. We'll be at the rest of them for the rest of our lives. We can go somewhere fun where there are no royal residences and stay in hotels." She suggested excitedly. I felt apprehensive for a moment and then became as excited as Rose.

"YES! Let's do it. Where should we go?" I asked excitedly. Rosalie thought for a moment.

"Do you want to go somewhere close or far? Beach or sightseeing?" she asked as the possibilities raced through our minds. And then, we came to our decision at the very same time, yelling it out in unison.

"GREECE!"

Rosalie jumped on my laptop and her cell phone, booking away. She spun in the desk chair to face me.

"They have a few openings, but we'd have to leave in a few hours. Are you good with that?" she asked. I nodded in excitement. I laid out a few dresses on my bed and pulled my suitcase off of the top shelf of my closet. Rose poked her head into my bedroom where I was furiously packing away.

"We are all set. We are booked at the Four Seasons in Greece, under my mom's name, so no one will know it's us. We have a private villa and our own private pool!" she said excitedly. "So, I need to run home and change into something to travel in and get packed. What all are you packing?" she asked, peeking into my suitcase.

"I packed a few swimsuits, a casual dress, a nicer dress for dinner out, shorts and sightseeing outfits…" I trailed off, feeling like I was forgetting something, but Rosalie nodded in approval.

"You might want to add another dressy outfit or two. Lets do dinners out and have breakfast and lunch in our villa or in town". She suggested. I agreed and packed another few dresses.

"Let me just change into jeans and we can go get your things!" I said, slipping out of my dress. I pulled on a pair of boyfriend jeans, black flats, a white t-shirt and a pink scarf. I stuffed a black cardigan into my large purse and put my aviators on my head. Rose led me outside to the palace car that was waiting. I handed off my luggage to the security guard and slid in beside Rose. We were at Rosalie's in no time. She packed quickly and changed into a similar outfit as mine.

" I just need to stop by my office to grab the rest of the wedding stuff so we can plan on the plane. And we should probably tell the boys our plans," she laughed, suddenly remembering that they were not a part of this plan.

"Alice is going to kill us both," I whispered under my breath as security escorted us from the car to Buckingham Palace.

"She'll get over it," Rose said as she quickly walked through the long carpeted hallway to the offices. I was just getting ready to call Edward when I saw him walking down the hallway, coming toward us with Emmett and their father. Edward arched an eyebrow and smiled as he saw us walking toward them.

"Well, well, well, what do we have-" Emmett stopped dead when he saw what Rose was wearing. " You are not wearing tonight, are you?" he asked, obviously taken aback by her causal wardrobe.

"Bella and I aren't going tonight. We made other plans," Rose said with a shrug. Emmett followed her into her office.

"Bella, good to see you," Edward's father said, kissing my cheek. He smiled, holding my shoulders. "Good luck," he said simply before smiling and walking away. Edward pulled me close.

"What is this about you and Rose blowing us off?" he asked. His sounded a little like he was kidding, but there was an underlying hint of anger too.

"Rose and I decided to go on a long weekend to Greece", I told him, prepared for an argument. He just looked at me skeptically.

"Are you okay?" he asked, holding me at arms length. I nodded.

"Yeah, I'm good," I promised, but he wasn't convinced.

"Come with me to my office," he said, grasping my hand and taking me down the hallway to his Palace office. The office was large, decorated with mostly black furniture. He waived his hand at the leather love seat in the corner of the office, below a large window, overlooking the London streets.

"So what's going on?" he asked, sitting beside me, his hands around my knee.

"Nothing is going on. Rose and I were both a little stressed after a meeting with Alice and decided that we should get away while we can. Since she's engaged she's not required to be at this event this weekend, so we wanted to enjoy her last moments of freedom", I explained, wanting to keep Alice out of this.

"Would this stress from meeting Alice come from her frustration at you because I forgot to mention this weekend to you?" Edward asked. I laughed and nodded.

"Yes, why? Did she say something to you?"

"Yeah, I got a long berating e-mail about why I am not a better communicator".

"Ah, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get you in trouble", I said, feeling a little guilty. I should have been nicer and just let it go, but I was getting sick of events quickly.

"Want me to say something to her?" he asked. I shook my head.

"No, I'm fine. It's just a bit of a lifestyle adjustment. I was prepared for most of it, but some of it I wasn't prepared for", I admitted. He nodded, leaning forward to kiss my forehead.

"Have fun, I'll see you when you get back", he said. I smiled and kissed him, holding him tight. I never realized exactly how much I missed him until I saw him.

"Lets see each other more when you get back," he added, walking me out of his office.

"Agreed". I said, kissing him once more before meeting an impatient Rose at the end of the hallway.

Rose and I made the flight in time and were enjoying our second glass of champagne before we decided to drag out the wedding plans. We spread out the books between us, and went over the smaller details first. She showed me the dresses she was considering, bridesmaid's dresses, flowers…after 30 minutes my head was spinning.

"I never realized how much went into planning a wedding," I asked, draining my third glass of champagne. Rose smiled and nodded.

"I know, right? It's no wonder girls turn into crazy people. If Emmett weren't royalty, we'd be eloping".

"I want to get married on a Wednesday morning when everyone is at work," I laughed.

"I'm afraid, dear girl, that that can't happen. Edward wouldn't ever allow that. And if he would, the Queen would not". Rose said with a roll of her eyes. "I begged Emmett to elope but he wouldn't go for it, because it would 'displease' her." She said quietly, taking a long sip of water.

"So where are you on the televising of the wedding?" I asked with a small laugh. I knew exactly where she was.

"As much as I hate to admit it, I don't think there's a way around it". She shrugged.

"So…what do we have control over?" I asked.

"Not much. But lets talk about my dress", she said with a brilliant smile, pulling a large manila envelope out of her purse.

"Here are the designs a few of the designers have sent over," she said, carefully laying out the designs between us. "I need your help in deciding which ones wouldn't work," she said, her eyes skimming over each design. I drained my champagne glass, not wanting to knock it over.

"What time of year are we looking at?" I asked.

"Summer. As you know, all those requests have to go through and be cleared by the Queen herself, so I don't have a date".

"And where are you having it, because that will make a difference too,"

"Shoot, Emmett and I are still deadlocked on that". She said with a said smile.

"Okay, on to your dress," she said, replacing the wedding dress sketches with bridal magazines.

We arrived in Greece tired and a little dehydrated. We both drank several bottles of water by the time we arrived at our beautiful hotel. A small man dressed in white showed us to our villa, leading us up a large amount of white stairs. He opened the door to the most beautiful hotel room I'd ever seen. It was spacious, white couches and glass tables that faced a large glass window that looked out over the beautiful Mediterranean water. We each had a bedroom, bathroom and small closest.

"Well," I said to Rose after our tour guide left," I can move in tomorrow". She laughed.

"Edward would be a little disappointed to hear," she laughed. "Alright, get in your swimsuit, Swan! Lets go do a little sunbathing!"

Our villa had our own private small pool and hot tub that looked out over the sea. Wanting to avoid the paparazzi, we decided against the beaches, especially since we had our own pool. I changed quickly into my black bikini, grabbed my sunscreen and headed outside where Rose was already waiting.

"Did you call Edward? Emmett said he was worrying". She handed me her phone. I scrolled through her contacts before finding Edward's cell. It went straight to voicemail. "Hey it's me. Just wanted to let you know Rose and I made it safely, though you probably know that if you're with Emmett. Also, I'm not coming back to London. You can visit me here. Love you". I hung up and smiled at Rose, who hands me a glass of sangria.

"To my future sister in law," she laughed.

"I'll drink to that!"

After thoroughly baking in the glorious sun, we packed up our magazines and dragged ourselves inside.

"I think I had too much sangria. I'm getting dizzy" she laughed, lounging on the couch, throwing her arm over her face.

"Lets get you some water and a shower and we can go eat something". I laughed, throwing her a bottle of water from the small refrigerator.

"Do you want some Advil or something? You look a little pale", I was a little concerned, but didn't want to make too big a deal of it.

She shook her head, taking large sips of water.

"No, I just need to eat", she assured me. I helped her up and she walked off to shower and get dressed. I went back to my room, showered, put on a little makeup and slipped into a short black dress. I checked my cell phone and saw I'd missed a call from Rosalie. I hurried over to her bedroom and knocked on the closed bathroom door.

"Rose? Are you okay?"

"Bella, I need you to call for help. Something's wrong," she responded, her voice shaky.

"Can I come in?" I asked. I heard her quiet "yes". I opened the door slowing, stunned by what I saw. Rose sitting in the corner of the bathroom, shower running, wrapped in a towel, her knees to her chest. There was a lot blood on the floor.

"Oh my gosh, Rose, I'll be right back," I said frantically, running to the phone by her bed. Quickly I pressed the emergency button with the red cross.

This was a long chapter-thanks for being so patient. I am finished with the next chapter and am just fine tuning it. It will be soon. I promise! :)


	21. Girls Trip: Part 2

I sat in the cold Greek hospital, hugging a black sweater around me. I was in the cold waiting room while the doctors helped Rose. The paramedics had arrived fairly quickly. One of them, who spoke a little broken English, did reassure me in the ambulance that the fact she was conscious was a good sign, but it was little comfort. The image of the large amount of blood pooled at Rose's feet haunted me. I checked my cell phone again. I'd called both Edward and Emmett a few times, but had yet to get through to them. I fished through Rosalie's purse at my feet and found her cell phone. I found Edward's father's phone number and dialed it. I took a deep breath. I don't know why, but even after six months he still intimidated me. He answered on the second ring and I sighed in relief.

"Rose?"

"No, I'm sorry sir, it's Bella. I'm so sorry to disturb you. I'm trying to get through to Edward and Emmett and I can't get ahold of them. I didn't know who else to call…" I trailed off, panic overtaking me.

"Bella, slow down. What's wrong?"

"I'm in the hospital with Rose. I don't have-" he cut me off.

"I'll get the boys and we'll get out there as soon as we can. Where are you?"

"Hydra Island Hospital". I said quickly.

"I'll be there as soon as I can," he assured me before hanging up. Edward was on his way.

"Ms. Swan?" A doctor asked in a thick Greek accent. Her hand was on my shoulder, gently nudging me awake. I must have nodded off. I sat up quickly.

"How is she?" I asked. She smiled, sitting down beside me.

"She's resting. She's asking for you. Have you called her fiancé? She's been asking for him." I nodded.

"Yes, he is on his way. He should be here in a few hours," How long had I been asleep? They could be closer than that.

"Good. You are welcome to go see her, if you like. I would like her to rest, so please help keep her calm," she said. I nodded.

"Are you able to tell me what happened?" I asked. She shook her head.

"I'll let Rosalie fill you in".

I opened the door to Rosalie's room quietly. Her eyes were red from crying.

"Hey you," I whispered, placing our bags on a chair by the door. I sat gently on the side of the bed.

"How are you feeling?" I asked. I didn't want to come out and ask what was wrong. She only nodded. She looked down at her hands, playing with a Kleenex.

"I miscarried," she whispered, her voice hoarse.

"Oh Rose, I'm so sorry," I said, my hand on hers.

"I didn't even know I was pregnant". She began to cry softly.

"Emmett's on his way," I reassured her, my hand on her shoulder. It was the only thing I could think to say to comfort her.

"Emmett's on his way?"

"Emmett's on his way," I said again. She calmed almost immediately, taking deep breaths. I checked my watch. I had called quite awhile ago, they should be here any minute.

"Okay. Distract me until he gets here?"

Just as I was going to start talking about some of the Palace events that are coming up, Emmett burst through the doors, breathless and in a panic.

"YOU!" he said, pointing a finger at me. "You need to learn how to make a proper 'we need you' phone call. A little heads up that she was still alive would have been nice," he said, taking my seat on the bed and wrapping Rose in his arms.

"I'm glad you're here too," I said, squeezing his hand before backing out of the room quietly.

I found my handsome husband sitting in a corner of the waiting room, looking anxious. He smiled when he saw me. I ran into his waiting arms, letting him hold me tight.

"I was so scared," I whispered into his neck as his fingers explored my hair.

"I know," he whispered, kissing the top of my head. He rocked me back and forth for a moment until I pulled back, ever so slightly to kiss him.

"What happened?" he asked.

"Rose had a miscarriage", I whispered, making sure no one else was in earshot.

"What?! I didn't even know she was pregnant!" Edward exclaimed quietly. He led me down the corridor to a more private area, just in case anyone was listening. Even though the concern was left unspoken, we didn't want this story leaking to the media.

"I didn't know either. I don't even think she knew. I was only with her for a few minutes before you guys got here. Where's your dad?" I asked, looking around.

"He stayed behind to attend that benefit on Friday. We thought it would be a little to obvious if all three of us were missing. We didn't want to raise any suspicion. The palace is working on a vague statement to release". He explained. I nodded in agreement; glad they were already getting ready to answer questions.

"Why don't we let Emmett and Rose get some rest. I'll take you back and get you something to eat. You must be starving". I shook my head.

"I don't have much of an appetite". Edward looked at me sternly.

"Bella, you have to eat. Let's go. I'll text Emmett on the way".

Edward led me outside, into the cooler night air. On any other night, I would have considered it beautiful. The stars were out, not a cloud in sight. I showed Edward up the private stairs to our villa, fishing around in my bag for my key.

"Bella, sweetheart, focus on the stairs please," Edward said, holding my elbow. I rolled my eyes at him. No sooner did I do that did I trip. Edward caught me before I could fall. I laughed in his arms.

"Okay, okay. You're right". I conceded, kissing his cheek.

I took a deep breath before inserting my key into the lock. To my surprise, and relief, housekeeping must have cleaned the villa well after we left. Edward set his bag down in the corner by our room.

"Has Emmett texted you back yet?" I asked. Edward checked his phone and shook his head.

"No, not yet. Don't worry. They'll call when they need something. Now, you need to eat. Are we going out or ordering in?"

"Can't we just go to bed? I'm so tired". I said, leaning into his chest.

"As soon as you eat something", he insisted. I knew the quickest way out of this was to just eat.

"Whatever is fastest. Lets just walk over to the hotel restaurant and get some soup or something", I said, grabbing my wallet out of my purse.

"Don't even think about that. Put it away," Edward said, sounding a little offended. I rolled my eyes, but I was too exhausted to argue, so I just took my Passport. Edward raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"I plan on ordering alcohol," I explained.

Just a little while later, I'd eaten a soup and salad and about a gallon of wine. Edward had to lead the way back to the room.

"Dear God, Bella, did you drink this heavily when I wasn't here?" Edward laughed. I nodded.

"Yes, but I had a rough day. So I have an excuse tonight".

"That you do," he kissed my forehead; opening the door to the villa with the hand he was not supporting me with. "How about a bath?"

"No, just bed," I yawned. Edward picked me up in his arms, startling me. "It's easier to carry you than lead you in the right direction. He set me down softly on the edge of the large, white bed. I didn't even bother to undress. I kicked off my sandals and snuggled under the covers. I was asleep before I could even say goodnight to my knight in shining armor.

The next morning, I woke with a dull headache. Edward was beside me, shirtless and tapping away on his BlackBerry.

"Well good morning sunshine," he laughed quietly. I moaned. For one glorious moment, I had forgotten why he was here. I shot up in bed as last nights events came rushing back to me.

"Rose? How is she?" I asked him frantically.

"Emmett called this morning. She's a little better. They're going to release her this afternoon. They do want her to rest though. Emmett and I had an idea. How would you feel about not going back to London right away?"

"Is that even a question? I mean, it's Rosalie's call though. I want to be where she is".

"Emmett and I think we should stay here to allow her to rest. I worry, as Emmett does, that that paparazzi would not leave any of us alone. The Palace is going to release a statement that she had a medical event, was treated and released as soon as she is actually released. I say lets stay here, at least through the weekend and then go from there. Are you okay with that?" I nodded, snuggling closer to his body, kissing his shoulder.

"Bella…" Edward warned, through gritted teeth. I laughed, my hand running over the muscles on his chest down to his abs.

"What?" I whispered, kissing from his shoulder to his collarbone.

"I cannot concentrate on work with you doing that".

"That's the point. You're in Greece. Despite the circumstances that brought you here, shouldn't we enjoy the fact that we are in Greece and alone in a house, for the next few hours at least".

"Good point," he said, tossing his BlackBerry aside, rolling over on top of me.

Rosalie returned to our Four Seasons Villa in better spirits than I had left her in. I think having Emmett here really made all the difference. Edward hugged her close when she walked in.

"How are you?" he asked, holding her at arms length.

"I'm okay. Better now that you two are here. Thanks for bringing him".

"Anytime," he said, leading her to the couch. Emmett brought her blankets and a pillow.

"Guys, I'm not sick. Just sore. You don't have to make a big deal out of me," she laughed.

"Too late," Emmett said. "Now let's go get you showered and changed", he said, picking her up gently, carrying her into their room.

The next morning, Rose woke up on the couch, a little disoriented from the pain medication. Edward had gone out to pick up breakfast.

"Did I dream it?" Rose ask, her voice thick with tears. Emmett and I exchanged a sad look before Emmett shook his head sadly.

"No, baby, I'm sorry. But I'm here, we'll all get through this together," he promised, kissing her knuckles. She swallowed and nodded.

"Bella, thank you for what you did. I'm glad you were with me," she said, reaching her free hand out to me.

"Anytime, friend". She wiped a stray tear from the corner of her eye.

"Can we spend some time outside today?" she asked. Emmett smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, you guys have an awesome view out there! Let's enjoy it!"

Emmett, Edward, Rose and I spent the afternoon lounging by the pool. Rose and I sat at the edge and put our feet in while the boys splashed and threw each other in.

"How are you, really?" I asked, catching her looking out to the Sea. She smiled a little at me.

"I'm okay, really. Or I will be okay. I'm in good hands. Life will go on because it has to. I just feel foolish for not knowing. The doctor assured me there was nothing I could have done differently…but still…" she trailed off, kicking her legs a little in the water.

"It will go on. I promise". I put my hand over hers, squeezing it once.

"I know. But lets all stop being so somber. Lets enjoy this vacation. That will make me feel better".

"Hey, you two," Emmett called, swimming toward us.

"I did not say that to give you permission to pull me in the pool" Rose lectured.

"No, I just wanted to say…no more medical emergencies you two. We are DONE for the rest of our lives. You each had one and now I'm cutting you off." He laughed. I saluted.

"Yes, sir".


End file.
